The Lacey Act prohibits the importation, transportation, and acquisition of wildlife species deemed to be "injurious" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The following fish and invertebrate species are considered to be injurious under the Act:

(2) The importation, transportation, or acquisition of any of the species listed in this paragraph is prohibited except as provided under the terms and conditions set forth in Sec. 16.22:

(i) Live fish or viable eggs of walking catfish, family Clariidae;
(ii) Live mitten crabs, genus Eriocheir, or their viable eggs;
(iii) Live mollusks, veligers, or viable eggs of zebra mussels, genus Dreissena;
(iv) Any live fish or viable eggs of snakehead fishes of the genera Channa and Parachanna (or their generic synonyms of Bostrychoides, Ophicephalus, Ophiocephalus, and Parophiocephalus) of the Family Channidae, including but not limited to:
(A) Channa amphibeus (Chel or Borna snakehead).
(B ) Channa argus (Northern or Amur snakehead).
( C) Channa asiatica (Chinese or Northern Green snakehead).
(D) Channa aurantimaculata.
(E) Channa bankanensis (Bangka snakehead).
(F) Channa baramensis (Baram snakehead).
(G) Channa barca (barca or tiger snakehead).
(H) Channa bleheri (rainbow or jewel snakehead).
(I) Channa cyanospilos (bluespotted snakehead).
(J) Channa gachua (dwarf, gaucha, or frog snakehead).
(K) Channa harcourtbutleri (Inle snakehead).
(L) Channa lucius (shiny or splendid snakehead).
(M) Channa maculata (blotched snakehead).
(N) Channa marulius (bullseye, murrel, Indian, great, or cobra snakehead).
(O) Channa maruloides (emperor snakehead).
(P) Channa melanoptera.
(Q) Channa melasoma (black snakehead).
( R) Channa micropeltes (giant, red, or redline snakehead).
(S) Channa nox.
(T) Channa orientalis (Ceylon or Ceylonese Green snakehead).
(U) Channa panaw.
(V) Channa pleurophthalmus (ocellated, spotted, or eyespot snakehead).
(W) Channa punctata (dotted or spotted snakehead).
(X) Channa stewartii (golden snakehead).
(Y) Channa striata (chevron or striped snakehead).
(Z) Parachanna africana (Niger or African snakehead).
(AA) Parachanna insignis (Congo, square-spotted African or light African snakehead).
(BB) Parachanna obscura (dark African, dusky, or square-spotted snakehead).


Source: 50 Code of Federal Regulations §16.13.

[Federal Register: October 4, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 193)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 62193-62204]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04oc02-10]


[[Page 62193]]

All snakeheads are banned throughout the USA.

Your tank is already overstocked - I assume the fish are juveniles as the gouramis will start squabbling as they mature.

Yep. The Danios are going back to the store soon (except the two zebras... I kind of like them) as well as a few others though.

If you live in florida, you can just fish em out of a pond. They have established populations there.

just fish one out and dump it in your tank. Then unless they raid your house, no one will know that you have one.

im just curiused! why does SnakeHeads are ban in other country??

Sadly true. Many Southern states in the US (mostly Florida) are overrun with fish and other pets introduced into the non-native environment. Fish and reptiles prospered in Florida due to the warm climate. You can go into just about any large body of water in Florida and fish out piranhas, snakeheads, pacus, silver dollars, large gouramis, and many many many other fish in the aquarium trade. Many of these fish are actually thriving and breeding in Florida, particulary pacus and piranhas. Florida is a total mess with fish being introduced into their waters, their situation with reptiles is even worse. Just goes to show how much damage irresponsible pet owners can cause under the right conditions.

"Sadly true. Many Southern states in the US (mostly Florida) are overrun with fish and other pets introduced into the non-native environment. Fish and reptiles prospered in Florida due to the warm climate. You can go into just about any large body of water in Florida and fish out piranhas, snakeheads, pacus, silver dollars, large gouramis, and many many many other fish in the aquarium trade. Many of these fish are actually thriving and breeding in Florida, particulary pacus and piranhas. Florida is a total mess with fish being introduced into their waters, their situation with reptiles is even worse. Just goes to show how much damage irresponsible pet owners can cause under the right conditions."


Don't forget Oscars. I got a call from my friend a couple of years ago, who is a fishing fanatic, who very excitably said "Dude I was watching OLN they're down in the Everglades and the just hooked a fish that looks exactly like the one in your tank." I looked it up and there is apparently a thriving population of Oscars in florida.


Carl

hell, I see gouramis in natural ponds up here in massachusetts... I caught a couple while using a net to catch some sunnies. apparently, they can overwinter up here even though the water gets as low as 36F