Tennessee is probably the best I've seen thus far for seeing a lot of US freshwater fishes, though as noted their collection is largely of Tennessee natives.
~Thylo
~Thylo
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Are These in Captivity?
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Tennessee has lots of cool endemic fish though.
Shedd Aquarium and National Mississippi River Aquarium both have large native fish collections as well.
Our native freshwater fish certainly don't tend to get much love for the most part when it comes to zoos and aquariums. Except for maybe sturgeon and paddlefish. I can't think of anywhere I've been that had a decent collection of native freshwater fish. Only species I've seen repeatedly are white sturgeon and rainbow trout.
Yes, there are. Also there is not much interest in private keeping most of our native species anyway other than Jordanella floridae, Elassoma sp, and some of the more colorful sunfish species.
I've seen Brook Trout a good few times as well, and some native catfish pop up often but for the most part American fish get ignored. Even Europe handles our pupfish better...
I don't think I've ever seen Elassoma in an aquarium tbh.
~Thylo
Wisconsin and the states surrounding it (Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois) all have a large fishing culture - so therefore most aquariums and many zoos in the area have at least a small native fish collection.
Very true. Fishing is a popular pastime here
I have seen them offered sporadically in the private trade but never in a public aquarium.
I think the main reason native freshwater fish are not found in the private trade is because it is usually a simple matter to go and catch one yourself.
Isn't catch and take illegal without a permit though?
A basic fishing licence is all you need in most states, usually costing around $20 per year. I can and have caught and kept species such as Rock Bass, Bluegill, and Yellow Perch.
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Belle Isle Aquarium apparently has all 7 species of gar on display (the only known aquarium to display all in North America) according to their website (and having seen them myself awhile back). Some juveniles could potentially pop up in the pet trade here and there as well (which I wouldn't recommend as pets at all for a typical person), but don't count on me 100%
As RatioFile already pointed out, obtaining local wildlife without a permit could be considered poaching and is thus prohibited in several European countries.
Some European fish species are commercially available to be kept in ponds.
The main issue with native European fish species is that unlike tropical fish species, most of them do not cope well with the temperature control in private aquaria (i.e. too warm). And some are a bit more tricky to keep in prime condition - like the pretty grayling.
There’s a few in Europe:
ZootierlisteHomepage
ZootierlisteHomepage
The main reason native US freshwater fish are so uncommon in collections, I think, is that the vast majority are small and dull at first glance. When I was a kid my uncles went out and collected some darters from a stream in Alabama for photos with a permit; they're pretty fish, but you only see the patterns up close, and when an aquarium is faced with choosing between brightly colored fish that attract visitors and some dull stream fish, I think it's obvious which one they'll go with.
I agree with this, also we do not have many threatened species that are widespread or notable. Additionally in many cases I think exotic is one of the biggest factors in public attention and in general; our native species are much more commonly kept privately in Europe than private hands here. Indeed I almost never see anything native to North America when I visit aquarium stores, even in the large ones.
The one exception to the exotic factor is large, unusual fish. Sturgeon, paddlefish, and Alligator Gar definitely hold a good spot in many aquariums. The rainbow and brook trout also seem to be pretty common, however they are readily available from hatcheries, eat about anything, get along with each other, and are fairly colorful. The combo of convient traits seems to get them first pick of fish for a North American complex if there is space allotted for a pond.
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