Invasive Fish of Queensland

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Prohibited and restricted invasive fish

Invasive fish of Queensland

Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Black pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) (Image courtesy of WikiCommons)

The introduction of invasive fish into Queensland’s natural Legislation requirements waterways and wetlands can significantly affect native fish biodiversity and abundance. Impacts include: In Queensland, invasive fish are listed under the Biosecurity Act 2014 and the Biosecurity Regulation 2016 • direct competition for food and space as: • predation • habitat alteration • restricted noxious fish • introduction and spread of exotic diseases and • prohibited noxious fish parasites. • non-native invasive ornamental fish.

Once established in the environment, invasive fish are Additional species may be listed by a local government almost impossible to eradicate. under local laws. In Queensland it is illegal to sell prohibited, restricted and non-native invasive fish on Gumtree, eBay, Facebook or any marketplace. What this means for you • Climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) • Gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki) Under the Biosecurity Act 2014, everyone has a general • Giant cichlid, yellow belly cichlid biosecurity obligation (GBO) to take reasonable and (Boulengerochromis microlepis) practical steps to minimise the risks associated with • Marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus) invasive fish in their possession or under their control. • Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) It is illegal to import, keep, sell, move, distribute or have • Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus and Tilapia mariae) in your possession any invasive fish in Queensland.

Within 24 hours, you are required to report sightings to Prohibited noxious fish Biosecurity Queensland of any prohibited noxious fish You must not have any dealings whatsoever with these and these restricted noxious fish: fish, you must not bring these fish into Queensland or keep these fish in your possession or under your control. • alligator gar • black pacu • Aba aba (Gymnarchus niloticus) • marbled lungfish • Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii) • spotted gar. • African butter catfish (Schilbe mystus) • African lungfish (Protopterus annectens) You must not feed the following restricted noxious fish • African pike (Hepsetus odoe) and if caught (e.g. while fishing), you must humanly kill • African pike-characin, tubenose poacher, fin eater and dispose of these restricted noxious fish (by burial (fish of the subfamilyIchthyborinae ) above the high-water mark or placed in a bin) as soon as • Alfaro huberi (Alfaro huberi) practical: • American gar, alligator gar, armoured gar (Atractosteus • carp spp. and Lepisosteus spp.) other than Atractosteus spatula and Lepisosteus oculatus • Chinese weatherfish • Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii) • climbing perch • Angler catfish Chaca( bankanensis) • gambusia • Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) • giant cichlid • Baikal sturgeon (Acipenser baerii baicalensis) • tilapia. • Banded jewelfish (Hemichromis fasciatus) • Banded sunfish, spotted sunfish (family Centrachidae) The only exception to any of these requirements is if a • Barred tail pearlfish (Leptolebias minimus) fish is kept under a restricted or prohibited matter permit • Beluga (Huso huso) granted under the Biosecurity Act 2014 for specific uses • Bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) such as scientific research, public display aquaria and • Bigmouth sleeper (Gobiomorus dormitory) during fishing competitions (e.g. to allow the collection and weighing of carp and tilapia caught during an event). • Bluegill (Lepomis spp.) • Bottlenose, cornish jack (Mormyrops anguilloides) • Bowfin (Amia calva) What is Biosecurity Queensland doing? • Brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) Biosecurity Queensland is managing invasive fish by: • Burmensis frogmouth catfish Chaca( burmensis) • Catla (Catla catla) • increasing public awareness and everyone’s general • Chameleon goby, striped goby (Tridentiger biosecurity obligations trigonocephalus) • implementing a surveillance program • Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) • managing existing infestations utilising various • Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) control strategies • responding to new incursions • Chinese swordfish (Psephurus gladius) • working with state and commonwealth governments • Copper mahseer (Neolissochilus hexagonolepis) to develop a national approach to identifying and • Discus ray (Paratrygon aiereba) legislating invasive fish • Electric catfish (Malapterurus spp.) • supporting scientific research and control measures. • Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) • European catfish, wels catfish (Silurus spp.) Restricted noxious fish • European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) • Fat sleeper (Dormitator maculatus) You must comply with the fish’s restriction category • Flatnose catfish, dwarf giraffe catfish (Anaspidoglanis requirements; each fish may have different requirements. macrostomus) • Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) • Forktail lates (Lates microlepis) • Black pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) • Fourspine stickleback (Apeltes quadracus) • Carp (Cyprinus carpio) • Freshwater minnow (Zacco platypus) • Chinese weatherfish, weatherloach • Fringebarbel sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris) (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) • Frogmouth catfish, squarehead catfishChaca ( chaca)

2 Invasive fish of Queensland • Gambusia, mosquito fish Gambusia( spp.) other than • Sentani gudgeon (Oxyeleotris heterodon) Gambusia holbrooki • Shiners (Notropis spp.) • Giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis) • Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) • Giant bully (Gobiomorphus gobioides) • Shoulderspot catfish (Schilbe marmoratus) • Gilled lungfish (Protopterus amphibius) • Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii baerii) • Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) • Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) • Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) • Silver catfish (Schilbe intermedius) • Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus destotoi) • Slender lungfish (Protopterus dolloi) • Hypseleotris tohizonae (Hypseleotris tohizonae) • Snakehead (Channa spp.) • Japanese sturgeon (Acipenser multiscutatus) • Snooks (Centropomus spp.) • Knife-edged livebearer (Alfaro cultratus) • South American lungfish (Lepidosiren paradoxa) • Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) • Southern redbelly dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster) • Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) • Spot pangasius (Pangasius larnaudii) • Leptolebias aureoguttatus (Leptolebias aureoguttatus) • Starry sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) • Marbled pearlfish (Leptolebias marmoratus) • Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) • Marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata) • Stinging catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis) • Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) • Tiger catfish (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) • Mississippi paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) • Tigerfish (African), pike characin (Hydrocynus spp., • Mrigal (Cirrhinus cirrhosus) subfamilies Hydrocyninae and Alestinae) • Nile perch (Lates niloticus) • Tigerfish (South American) or trahira (Erythrinus spp., • Ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) Hoplerythrinus spp. and Hoplias spp.) • Opal pearlfish (Leptolebias opalescens) • Tilapia (Sarotherodon spp., Oreochromis spp. and • Orange-fin labeo (Labeo calbasu) Tilapia spp.) other than Oreochromis mossambicus • Oxyeleotris siamensis (Oxyeleotris siamensis) and Tilapia mariae) • Oxyeleotris urophthalmoides (Oxyeleotris • Tomeurus gracilis (Tomeurus gracilis) urophthalmoides) • Tropical carp-gudgeon (Hypseleotris cyprinoides) • Oxyeleotris urophthalmus (Oxyeleotris urophthalmus) • Twospot lebiasina (Lebiasina bimaculata) • Pacific fat sleeper (Dormitator latifrons) • Twospot livebearer (Heterandria bimaculata) • Pacific sleeper Gobiomorus( maculatus) • Ubangi shovelnose catfish (Bagrus ubangensis) • Pangasius conchophilus (Pangasius conchophilus) • Valencia toothcarp (Valencia hispanica) • Pangasius elongatus (Pangasius elongatus) • walking catfish, airbreathing catfish (family Clariidae) • Pangasius krempfi (Pangasius krempfi) • White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) • Pangasius kunyit (Pangasius kunyit) • Yangtze sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) • Pangasius macronema (Pangasius macronema) • Yellowbelly gudgeon (Allomogurnda nesolepis) • Pangasius nasutus (Pangasius nasutus) • Yellowfin goby (Acanthogobius flavimanus) • Pangasius nieuwenhuisii (Pangasius nieuwenhuisii) • Yellowtailed catfish (Pangasius pangasius) • Parasitic catfish, pencil catfish, candiru catfish (family Trichomycteridae) Non-native invasive ornamental fish • Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) You must not have any dealings whatsoever with these • Pike characin (Acestrorhynchus microlepis) fish, you must not bring these fish into Queensland or • Pike cichlid (Crenicichla spp.) keep these fish in your possession or under your control. • Pike minnow, pike killifish (Belonesox belizanus) • Pikes (Esox spp.) • Balsas catfish (Ictalurus balsanus) • Pink, slender, greenwoods, mortimers, cunean and • Banded astyanax (Astyanax fasciatus) green happy (Sargochromis spp.) • Banded tetra (Astyanax aeneus) • Piranhas, pacus (fish of the subfamilySerrasalminae ) • Black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) other than Metynnis spp., Myloplus rubripinnis, • Black madtom (Noturus funebris) Myloplus asterias, Myloplus planquettei and Piaractus • Black river madtom (Noturus maydeni) brachypomus) • Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) • Purpleface largemouth (Serranochromis spp.) • Brindled madtom (Noturus miurus) • Pygmy sunfish (Elassoma spp.) • Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) • Redfin bully Gobiomorphus( huttoni) • Brown madtom (Noturus phaeus) • Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) • Caddo madtom (Noturus taylori) • Reedfish Erpetoichthys( calabaricus) • Carolina madtom (Noturus furiosus) • Ripsaw catfish, black doras, black shielded catfish • Chapala catfish (Ictalurus ochoterenai) (Oxydoras spp.) • Checkered madtom (Noturus flavater) • River carp, deccan, high backed, jungha, putitor, Thai • Chucky madtom (Noturus crypticus) mahseer (Tor spp.) • Dormitator lebretonis (Dormitator lebretonis) • Rohu (Labeo rohita) • Elegant madtom (Noturus elegans) • Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) • Eyespot ctenopoma (Ctenopoma ocellatum) • Sakhalin sturgeon (Acipenser mikadoi)

Invasive fish of Queensland 3 • Flat bullhead (Ameiurus platycephalus) • Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) • Frecklebelly madtom (Noturus munitus) • Freckled madtom (Noturus nocturnus) • Gangetic climbing perch (Anabas cobojius) • Headwater catfish (Ictalurus lupus) • Helicophagus leptorhynchus (Helicophagus leptorhynchus) • Helicophagus waandersii (Helicophagus waandersii) • Himantura kittipongi (Himantura kittipong) • Large scaled spiny cheek sleeper (Eleotris amblyopsis) • Least madtom (Noturus hildebrandi hildebrandi) • Lerma catfish (Ictalurus dugesii) • Manyspined ctenopoma (Ctenopoma multispine) • Marbled freshwater whip ray (Himantura krempfi) • Marbled whip ray (Himantura oxyrhyncha) • Margined madtom (Noturus insignis) • Mottled ctenopoma (Ctenopoma weeksii) • Mountain madtom (Noturus eleutherus) • Neosho madtom (Noturus placidus) • Northern madtom (Noturus stigmosus) • Noturus gladiator (Noturus gladia) • Noturus hildebrandi lautus (Noturus hildebrandi lautus) • Ocellated labyrinth fish Ctenopoma( muriei) • Orangefin madtom (Noturus gilberti) • Ouachita madtom (Noturus lachneri) • Ozark madtom (Noturus albater) • Pygmy madtom (Noturus stanauli) • Rio verde catfish (Ictalurus mexicanus) • Roach (Rutilus rutilus) • Saddled madtom (Noturus fasciatus) • Sandwich island sleeper (Eleotris sandwicensis) • Scioto madtom (Noturus trautmani) • Silverbelly ctenopoma (Ctenopoma argentoventer) • Slender madtom (Noturus exilis) • Smoky madtom (Noturus baileyi) • Snail bullhead (Ameiurus brunneus) • Speckled madtom (Noturus leptacanthus) • Spotted bullhead (Ameiurus serracanthus) • Stonecat (Noturus flavus) • Tadpole madtom (Noturus gyrinus) • Tailspot ctenopoma (Ctenopoma kingsleyae) • Tench (Tinca tinca) • Twospot climbing perch (Ctenopoma nigropannosum) • White catfish (Ameiurus catus) • Yaqui catfish (Ictalurus pricei) • Yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis) • Yellowfin madtom (Noturus flavipinnis) Further information Further information is available from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 13 25 23 or visit biosecurity.qld.gov.au.

This fact sheet is developed with funding support from the Land Protection Fund. Fact sheets are available from Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) service centres and our Customer Service Centre (telephone 13 25 23). Check our website at biosecurity.qld.gov.au to ensure you have the latest version of this fact sheet. The control methods referred to in this fact sheet should be used in accordance with the restrictions (federal and state legislation, and local government laws) directly or indirectly related to each control method. These restrictions may prevent the use of one or more of the methods referred to, depending on individual circumstances. While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this information, DAF does not invite reliance upon it, nor accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused by actions based on it.