[mykoe817]

anyone here has ever kept one of these? are they really that illegal? umm rumor about a law being lifted since their being bred alot now...? grr sorry lol i found a shop near my place that has them, they carry mostly gold, red, and can do special orders. asain red baby about 4 inches for 250$ since i was refered by a good friend, but it might turn out to be a gold since they do look alike... but still do you guys think 250$ for a asian aro no matter what breed is good?

[Rich]

They are illegal enough to get you a hefty fine and possible jail time.....plus the fish confisgated. I have heard rumors year in and year out about the ban being lifted but it never comes to pass.

Here is a response a friend got from USF&W about the ban:

Dear ajb1971:
Thank you for your email concerning the importation and potential
downlisting of Asian bonytongue, Scleropages formosus under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA). I have reviewed your email carefully, and would like to
share the perspective of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on this
issue of international importance.

The species was listed as endangered in 1976 under the U.S. Endangered
Species Act. Endangered foreign species, such as S. formosus, cannot be
imported to the United States for primarily commercial purposes even if
they are captive-bred. Importation for personal or hobby use would be
considered commercial activity. Furthermore, any importation of an
endangered species, captive-bred or not, must enhance the status of the
species in the wild in some direct way. In the past, the USFWS has
approved the import of small numbers of bonytongue for research and
captive-breeding purposes. The applicants in these cases are involved in
research or re-introduction programs that should help bolster wild
populations of the fish. Importation of farm-raised and selectively bred
bonytongue does not, in our view, enhance the wild populations directly.
While captive-bred populations of S. formosus may be abundant in Southeast
Asia, their use does not necessarily encourage the conservation of wild
populations and may result in unsustainable harvest for breeding stock.
These fears have been echoed by Indonesian scientists who I've consulted
while visiting the country and examining arowana farms.

It's important to note that these provisions of the ESA apply regardless of
the status of the species in the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), but that body has
recently concurred with an Indonesian report that the species remains
endangered throughout its range. There are no current or planned research
initiatives known from any range country (Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia,
Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia) to study the conservation status of wild S.
formosus. Thus, there is no known scientific basis for downlisting from
threatened to endangered under the ESA in any part of the species' range.
Until data are presented to the USFWS or gathered, it appears that
downlisting is not warranted.

If we can obtain information that indicates that wild Asian arowanas are no
longer in danger of extinction, the USFWS will prioritize the species for
downlisting to threatened status. I am developing research initiatives to
gather this information. If the species is in fact downlisted to
threatened status, U.S. hobbyists could import captive-bred specimens with
the appropriate ESA and CITES permits. If you would like to learn more
about the Endangered Species Act, please visit our website at
http://endangered.fws.gov/. If you would like to learn more about the
USFWS, foreign species, and CITES, visit our website at
http://international.fws.gov/ or telephone me at 703-358-1708.

Thank you for your interest in and committment to the conservation of Asian
bonytongue. I look forward to working with dedicated members of the public
such as yourself as we continue our investigations of this species'
recovery in the wild.

John Field, Fisheries Specialist
Division of Scientific Authority
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 750
Arlington, VA 22203
USA

(+01) (703) 358-2496
(+01) (703) 358-2276 fax

[mykoe817]

hmmm i c... dang. wonder y the shop has them then... o well it is california... ahah jk

[Rich]

hmmm i c... dang. wonder y the shop has them then... o well it is california... ahah jk

They end up in Cali all the time. I think most of the time they "fall of the back of a truck(plane)." LA is a stop over for international flights, they refill the bags with oxygen there. Probably what you are seeing is ones that have wandered off the runway.

[Dracofish]

hmmm i c... dang. wonder y the shop has them then... o well it is california... ahah jk 

They end up in Cali all the time. I think most of the time they "fall of the back of a truck(plane)." LA is a stop over for international flights, they refill the bags with oxygen there. Probably what you are seeing is ones that have wandered off the runway.

Hey, we've seen them too, but you won't catch me buying one from a store...yeesh...

[Rich]

hmmm i c... dang. wonder y the shop has them then... o well it is california... ahah jk 

They end up in Cali all the time. I think most of the time they "fall of the back of a truck(plane)." LA is a stop over for international flights, they refill the bags with oxygen there. Probably what you are seeing is ones that have wandered off the runway.

Hey, we've seen them too, but you won't catch me buying one from a store...yeesh...

Out that way though they are way more common.....

[skyline377]

I had a RTG aro once in a 100 gallon tank, I brought for alot of $$$. Had it for a year and a half and the sucker just got too big for the tank so I had to sell it. I brought it when it was around 4". great fish but my tank was just too small.

[jaygo777]

There is no such thing as an asian aro in the usa

[Gsc]

OK Jaygo777... wink wink...