Currently listed noxious fish and marine vegetation
Currently there are 3 classes of noxious fish or marine vegetation in NSW, representing the different levels of threat they pose to the aquatic environment.
Different rules apply for each class in regard to the possession or sale of these species. There are heavy penalties for possessing, selling or importing live Class 1 species (up to $5,500 for an individual or $11,000 for a corporation).
Noxious listing provides NSW DPI with the power to seize and destroy the noxious species, or require their destruction, under certain circumstances or for certain classes of species.
More information on Management of aquarium (“ornamental”) fish.
Class 1 noxious fish
Compliance with the noxious listing for all species listed below is mandatory by law.
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
|---|---|
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Yellow fin goby |
Acanthogobius flavimanus (Gobiidae family) |
|
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Acestrorhynchus microlepis (Acestrorhynchidae family) |
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Siberian sturgeon |
Acipenser baerii baerii (Acipenseridae family) |
|
Baikal sturgeon |
Acipenser baerii baicalensis (Acipenseridae family) |
|
Shortnose sturgeon |
Acipenser brevirostrum (Acipenseridae family) |
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Yangtze sturgeon |
Acipenser dabryanus (Acipenseridae family) |
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Lake sturgeon |
Acipenser fulvescens (Acipenseridae family) |
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Russian sturgeon |
Acipenser gueldenstaedtii (Acipenseridae family) |
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Green sturgeon |
Acipenser medirostris (Acipenseridae family) |
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Sakhalin sturgeon |
Acipenser mikadoi (Acipenseridae family) |
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Japanese sturgeon |
Acipenser multiscutatus (Acipenseridae family) |
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Adriatic sturgeon |
Acipenser naccarii (Acipenseridae family) |
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Fringebarbel sturgeon |
Acipenser nudiventris (Acipenseridae family) |
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Gulf sturgeon |
Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi (Acipenseridae family) |
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Atlantic sturgeon |
Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus (Acipenseridae family) |
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Persian sturgeon |
Acipenser persicus (Acipenseridae family) |
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Sterlet |
Acipenser ruthenus (Acipenseridae family) |
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Amur sturgeon |
Acipenser schrenckii (Acipenseridae family) |
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Chinese sturgeon |
Acipenser sinensis (Acipenseridae family) |
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Starry sturgeon |
Acipenser stellatus (Acipenseridae family) |
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European sturgeon |
Acipenser sturio (Acipenseridae family) |
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White sturgeon |
Acipenser transmontanus (Acipenseridae family) |
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Knife-edged livebearer |
Alfaro cultratus (Poeciliidae family) |
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Alfaro huberi (Poeciliidae family) |
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Yellowbelly gudgeon |
Allomogurnda nesolepis (Eleotridae family) |
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Bowfin |
Amia calva (Amiidae family) |
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Climbing perch |
Anabas testudineus (Anabantidae family) |
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Flatnose catfish |
Anaspidoglanis macrostoma (Bagridae family) |
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Four spined stickleback |
Apeltes quadracus (Gasterosteidae family) |
|
Bighead carp |
Aristichthys nobilis (Cyprinidae family) |
|
American gar, armoured gar |
Atractosteus spp. (excluding Atractosteus spatula) (Lepisosteidae family) |
|
Ubangi shovelnose catfish |
Bagrus ubangensis (Bagridae family) |
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Copper mahseer |
Barbodes hexagonolepis (Cyprinidae family) |
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Pike minnow, pike killifish |
Belonesox belizanus (Poeciliidae family) |
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Giant cichlid, yellow belly cichlid |
Boulengerochromis microlepis (Cichlidae family) |
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European green crab, green shore crab |
Carcinus maenas (Portunidae family) |
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Catla |
Catla catla (Cyprinidae family) |
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Giant barb |
Catlocarpio siamensis (Cyprinidae family) |
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|
Centrarchidae family |
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Snook |
Centropomus spp. (Centropomidae family) |
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Angler catfish |
Chaca bankanensis (Chacidae family) |
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Burmensis frogmouth catfish |
Chaca burmensis (Chacidae family) |
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Squarehead catfish |
Chaca chaca (Chacidae family) |
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Snake head |
Channa spp. (Channidae family) |
|
Mrigal |
Cirrhinus cirrhosus (Cyprinidae family) |
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Walking catfish |
Clarias spp. (Clariidae family) |
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Colossoma spp. (Characidae family) |
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Grass carp |
Ctenopharyngodon idella (Cyprinidae family) |
|
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Culaea inconstans (Gasterosteidae family) |
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Pacific fat sleeper |
Dormitator latifrons (Eleotridae family) |
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Pacific sleeper |
Dormitator maculatus (Eleotridae family) |
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Pygmy sunfish |
Elassoma spp. (Elassomatidae family) |
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Electric eel |
Electrophorus electricus (Gymnotidae family) |
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Reedfish |
Erpetoichthys calabaricus (Polypteridae family) |
|
|
Erythrinus spp. (Erythinidae family) |
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Pike |
Esox spp. (Esocidae family) |
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Eastern gambusia |
Gambusia holbrooki (all waters except greater Sydney region) (Poeciliidae family) |
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Mosquitofish |
Gambusia spp. (*excluding Gambusia holbrooki) (Poeciliidae family) |
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Giant bully |
Gobiomorphus gobioides (Eleotridae family) |
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Redfin bully |
Gobiomorphus huttoni (Eleotridae family) |
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Bigmouth sleeper |
Gobiomorus dormitor (Eleotridae family) |
|
|
Gobiomorus maculatus (Eleotridae family) |
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Aba aba |
Gymnarchus niloticus (Gymnarchidae family) |
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Banded jewelfish |
Hemichromis fasciatus (Cichlidae family) |
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African pike |
Hepsetus odoe (Hepsetidae family) |
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Twospot livebearer |
Heterandria bimaculata (Poeciliidae family) |
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Stinging catfish |
Heteropneustes fossilis (Heteropneustidae family) |
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Aimira |
Hoplerythrinus spp. (Erythinidae family) |
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Trahira |
Hoplias spp. (Erythinidae family) |
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Beluga |
Huso huso (Acipenseridae family) |
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Pike characin, giant tigerfish |
Hydrocynus spp. (Alestiidae family) |
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Silver carp |
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Cyprinidae family) |
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Tropical carp-gudgeon |
Hypseleotris cyprinoides (Eleotridae family) |
|
|
Hypseleotris tohizonae (Eleotridae family) |
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African pike-characin, tubenose poacher, fin eater |
Ichthyborinae subfamily (Citharinidae family) |
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Channel catfish |
Ictalurus punctatus (Ictaluridae family) |
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Orange fin labeo |
Labeo calabasu (Cyprinidae family) |
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Rohu |
Labeo rohita (Cyprinidae family) |
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Forktail lates |
Lates microlepis (Centropomidae family) |
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Nile perch |
Lates niloticus (Centropomidae family) |
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Twospot lebiasina |
Lebiasina bimaculata (Lebiasinidae family) |
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South American lungfish |
Lepidosiren paradoxa (Lepidosirenidae family) |
|
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Leptolebias aureoguttatus (Rivulidae family) |
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Marbled pearlfish |
Leptolebias marmoratus (Rivulidae family) |
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Barred tail pearlfish |
Leptolebias minimus (Rivulidae family) |
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Opal pearlfish |
Leptolebias opalescens (Rivulidae family) |
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Electric catfish |
Malapterurus spp. (Malapteruridae family) |
|
Weatherloach, oriental weatherloach |
Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cobitidae family) |
|
Cornish jack |
Mormyrops anguilloides (Mormyridae family) |
|
Black striped mussel |
Mytilopsis spp. (Dreissenidae family) |
|
Shiner |
Notropis spp. (Cyprinidae family) |
|
Tilapia |
Oreochromis spp. (Cichlidae family) |
|
Ripsaw catfish, black doras, black shielded catfish |
Oxydoras spp. (Doradidae family) |
|
Sentani gudgeon |
Oxyeleotris heterodon (Eleotridae family) |
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Marble goby |
Oxyeleotris marmorata (Eleotridae family) |
|
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Oxyeleotris siamensis (Eleotridae family) |
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Oxyeleotris urophthalmoides (Eleotridae family) |
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Oxyeleotris urophthalmus (Eleotridae family) |
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Pangasius conchophilus (Pangasiidae family) |
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Pangasius elongatus (Pangasiidae family) |
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Mekong giant catfish |
Pangasianodon gigas (Pangasiidae family) |
|
|
Pangasius krempfi (Pangasiidae family) |
|
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Pangasius kunyit (Pangasiidae family) |
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Spot pangasius |
Pangasius larnaudii (Pangasiidae family) |
|
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Pangasius macronema (Pangasiidae family) |
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Pangasius nasutus (Pangasiidae family) |
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Pangasius nieuwenhuisii (Pangasiidae family) |
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Yellowtailed catfish |
Pangasius pangasius (Pangasiidae family) |
|
Discus ray |
Paratrygon aiereba (Potamotrygonidae family) |
|
Pantanal parasitic catfish |
Paravandelia oxyptera (Trichomycteridae family) |
|
Redfin perch |
Perca fluviatilis (Percidae family) |
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Southern redbelly dace |
Phoxinus erythrogaster (Cyprinidae family) |
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Mississippi paddlefish |
Polyodon spathula (Polyodontidae family) |
|
Red swamp crayfish |
Procambarus clarkii (Cambaridae family) |
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Marbled lungfish |
Protopterus aethiopicus (Protopteridae family) |
|
Gilled lungfish |
Protopterus amphibius (Protopteridae family) |
|
African lungfish |
Protopterus annectens (Protopteridae family) |
|
Slender lungfish |
Protopterus dolloi (Protopteridae family) |
|
Chinese swordfish |
Psephurus gladius (Polyodontidae family) |
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Ninespine stickleback |
Pungitius pungitius (Gasterosteidae family) |
|
Red piranha |
Pygocentrus spp. (Characidae family) |
|
Pink happy, slender happy, cunene happy, green happy |
Sargochromis spp. (Cichlidae family) |
|
Blackchin tilapia |
Sarotherodon spp. (Cichlidae family) |
|
Silver butter catfish |
Schilbe intermedius (Schilbeidae family) |
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Shoulderspot catfish |
Schilbe marmoratus (Schilbeidae family) |
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African butter catfish |
Schilbe mystus (Schilbeidae family) |
|
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Serranochromis spp. (Cichlidae family) |
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Redeye piranha |
Serrasalmus spp. (Characidae family) |
|
European catfish, wels catfish |
Silurus spp. (Siluridae family) |
|
Redbelly tilapia |
Tilapia spp. (excluding T. buttikoferi) (Cichlidae family) |
|
|
Tomeurus gracilis (Poeciliidae family) |
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River carp, deccan mahseer, high backed mahseer, jungha mahseer, Thai mahseer |
Tor spp. (Cyprinidae family) |
|
Chameleon goby, striped goby, Japanese goby |
Tridentiger trigonocephalus (Gobiidae family) |
|
Valencia toothcarp |
Valencia hispanica (Valenciidae family) |
|
Freshwater minnow |
Zacco platypus (Cyprinidae family) |
Class 2 noxious fish
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
|---|---|
|
Banded grunter |
Amniataba percoides (Terapontidae family) |
|
Pacific oyster |
Crassostrea gigas (Ostreidae family) in estuarine and ocean waters (other than Port Stephens) |
|
Speckled mosquitofish, dusky millions fish |
Phalloceros caudimaculatus (Poeciliidae family) |
Class 3 noxious fish
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
|---|---|
|
European carp, common carp, carp, ornamental koi carp |
Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae family) |
|
Eastern gambusia |
Gambusia holbrooki (Poeciliidae family) in the greater Sydney region |
Class 1 noxious marine vegetation
|
Common name |
Scientific name |
|---|---|
|
Caulerpa |
Caulerpa taxifolia (Caulerpaceae family) |
* NB: 'Greater Sydney' means the local government areas of Ashfield, Auburn, Bankstown, Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Botany Bay, Burwood, Camden, Campbelltown, Canada Bay, Canterbury, City of Sydney, Fairfield, Gosford, Holroyd, Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Hurstville, Kogarah, Ku-ring-gai, Lake Macquarie, Lane Cove, Leichhardt, Liverpool, Manly, Marrickville, Mosman, Newcastle, North Sydney, Parramatta, Penrith, Pittwater, Randwick, Rockdale, Ryde, Strathfield, Sutherland, Warringah, Waverley, Willoughby, Wollongong, Woollahra and Wyong.
Under recent changes to the Fisheries Management Act 1994 and Regulations, it is now illegal to import any live noxious fish (or certain other aquarium, aquaculture and pest species) into NSW without a permit. List of restricted species.