Whether the LFS would take a native fish is another matter. I have no idea.
The only native fish that I have seen for sale are channel catfish and
alligator gar. The alligator gars are not native to Pennsylvania (other
types of gars are, though), but channel catfish are everywhere. If you
catch a catfish around here in southwestern Pennsylvania, it's most surely
going to be a brown bullhead or a channel catfish. The channel catfish, if
it lives long enough, will outgrow any tank. So what becomes of these fish?
I suspect many of them are released into the wild. It seems irresponsible
to sell a fish that will definitely outgrow any aquarium it is housed in.
It probably should be illegal.
Ed Bihary
Pitcairn, Pennsylvania
Turtle Creek Valley
> Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2006 08:24:16 -0400
> From: "Bob Muller" <michiganfish-in-wideopenwest.com>
> Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Releasing (or not releasing) Fish:
> Some Suggestions
>
> Many fish stores will take fish depending on what they are.
> Most of the
> fish they sell are very small and young. Many full grown fish when
> available sell for much more. A fish store usually gives a
> small fraction
> of the fishes worth and regularly this is in a trade in not
> cash. This
> isn't a service its profitable for them. This isn't going to
> happen at pet
> mart but a local privately owned shop. When I was a kid I
> would buy dime
> sized angel fish and raise them up to several inches and be
> able to get lots
> of new fish with no money. One of the local fish shops here
> when I was a
> boy had a tank maintain program for doctors offices. The
> would put small
> fish in those tanks change to feed and take care of them and
> rotate them for
> small fishes bring the large one into there shop, they always
> had 2 inch
> barbs for sale at a premium price. You have to get to know
> the owner of
> your local shops. Yes the majority of people that keep fish
> have them for a
> decoration and many time do not even know what kind they are.
> You will
> never reach these people on proper care.
>
> Bob Muller
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