Tilapia are illegal right?

[thebassepidemic]

So I was at petorama yesterday buying krill when I noticed some hornet cichlids for sale at 10 a peice. I told the shop keep that I was pretty sure tilapia were illegal in Texas, she argued that they were not. So if you want buttikoferi they have six at the moment

[Typical Tony]

I thought you needed a permit to house them?

[BFinley]

Keller Farms sells them all the time!

[greeneyed]

There were some at the fish place in ft worth on Tuesday.

[Flapjack]

there is an asian market by my house that sells HUGE live tilapia that are like a foot long + all housed a very overcrowed tank

[alta678]

If somebody has connections with the Texas Fish and Game department, please chime in on this. I thought that some were illegal.

[ayla]

Tilapia are illegal, but I don't think the fish you saw is a tilipia. The fish called "hornet cichlid" that I am familiar with is Pseudotropheus crabro. This fish is NOT illegal. ALthough it is possible that there is an illegal species also referred to as a hornet cichlid.

ALL fish fish in family cichlidae, genus Tilapia, Orechromis, and Saratherodon ARE illegal in TX. You can check my source here:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/exotic/prohibited_aquatic.phtml

[thebassepidemic]

Nope, I one hundred percent know what I saw and they called it buttikoferi I got some picks too. You live here in Arlington go check it out.

[greeneyed]

Please note this fish is legal in Texas and Florida Now. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia_buttikoferi)

But this is wiki...

[ayla]

Nope, I one hundred percent know what I saw and they called it buttikoferi I got some picks too. You live here in Arlington go check it out.

I wasn't trying to say that you are wrong, but you didn't give the scientific name of what you saw in the first post, and there is a Pseudotropheus species commonly called hornet cichlid which is why I specifically said there may also be another "hornet cichlid." I really don't care to see it no matter which one it is as I've seen them both. ;)

[Flapjack]

is cynotilapia illegal in texas???

[ayla]

wiki...

Yeah that's the thing. The official TX government website still says all species in genus tilapia are illegal.

ayla added 7 Minutes and 38 Seconds later...

is cynotilapia illegal in texas???

No restrictions on genus cynotilapia as far as I can tell.

[flamenco-t]

All tilapia are illegal. The live ones you see at the store can only be sold as a dead food, you can not buy live and take it home. Same goes for snakehead in the east coast. Snakeheads are consider as delicacy to most asians..

[marvda1]

i beleive it's bumblebee chichlid, the ps. crabo.

[fishman76092]

Here is the link. As stated above-Tilapia are illegal in TX.

AS FOR WIKI...WHY ANYONE BELIEVES ANYTHING ON THAT SITE IS BEYOND ME.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/exotic/prohibited_aquatic.phtml

[thebassepidemic]

That's what I tought, and I did state that it was buttikoferi in the first post but it doesn't matter...

[pillguy]

When I moved to Texas from Kansas, I owned a 7" tilapia Buttakoferi and it is illegal in Texas. Was at Dallas North the other day and heard a discussion ongoing about this very thing. The guy from Dallas North pointing out that it is not worth the fine that having it will get you.

[greeneyed]

From TPWD:

Raising Tilapia in Texas




TPWD only allows the following 3 species of tilapia with an Exotic Species Permit:

Nile tilapia – Tilapia nilotica
Mozambique tilapia – Tilapia mossambica
Blue tilapia – Tilapia aurea- Tilapia aurea
Hybrids between the above listed species are allowed with a permit



You may possess Mozambique tilapia in a private pond or facility for personal use. You must retain a copy of the Exotic Species Transport Invoice from the licensed fish farmer you purchased the tilapia from for 1 year after the purchase date or as long as the live tilapia are in your possession, whichever is longer.

If you plan on selling the tilapia, you must obtain an Exotic Species Permit from the department. You will need to obtain an Aquaculture License from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) and a Wastewater Permit or Exemption from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) before you can obtain an Exotic Species Permit. The contacts for TDA and TCEQ are:

TDA – Kerry Cowlishaw – 512-463-7400

TCEQ – Melinda Luxemburg – 512-239-4541

For additional information please refer to our rules regarding Harmful or Potentially Harmful Exotic Fish, Shellfish and Aquatic Plants. You can access them at the Texas Administrative Code, Title 31, Part 2, Chapter 57, Subchapter A.

[Rift2Reef]

I think you can buy the exotic species permit at walmart. I know you can get it there for the new bans on snakes like Reticulated Pythons and other giant snakes.

[flamenco-t]

I can buy a pound of weed just as easy as finding tilapia at your LFS hahahah LOL :tease::tease::tease:

FYI, you can find over half of the invasive species list for texas at most LFS, either by mis-id or some LFS just not as well informed as they should be.


Disclaimer, I do not do smoke weed :) I am just making a point.

stan

[Typical Tony]

i can buy a pound of weed just as easy as finding tilapia at your lfs hahahah lol :tease::tease::tease:

Fyi, you can find over half of the invasive species list for texas at most lfs, either by mis-id or some lfs just not as well informed as they should be.


Disclaimer, i do not do smoke weed :) i am just making a point.

Stan

lies!?????!!!!!!!

[fishman76092]

From TPWD:


The key to that is "RAISING TILAPIA"....aka aquaculture.