Why do pet stores not sell native fish?

[cichlid tank]

i've caught the BEAUTIFUL sunfish before called longear sunfish, also caught some awesome pumpkinseeds, bluegills, green sunfish, orange spot sunfish, now i'm wondering why do fish stores not sell fish like bullhead, pretty sunfish, redfin pickerel, and rainbow darters? people would totally buy them. rock bass are like a coldwater oscar, so are green sunfish. why do they not sell them? these are some fish that are just dope and i've caught before (not my pics but ive caught the same species) edit: and if anyone wants a native fish but they cant fish, HMU

 

[Jexnell]

Now I am just taking a swing in the dark here. I thinking I has to do with local fish regulations are not the same from state to state and the possibilities of getting even more invasive species where they don't want them.
Also think of the diseases that can get introduced into wild bodies of water. People will be more willing to release "native fish" into waterways than a tropical fish that would die from the cold water alone.

 

[Fishnerd360]

I saw rainbow shiners at mine, once a bullhead, and alligator gars if you call them native.

 

[Jexnell]

All you have to do is go to Florida and look at all the Tropical fish living in it's waterways from irresponsible people releasing non native fish. You have everything from Oscars, Midas to even African Jewel cichlids, tetras to massive pleco colonies living and breeding.

 

[cichlid tank]

Now I am just taking a swing in the dark here. I thinking I has to do with local fish regulations are not the same from state to state and the possibilities of getting even more invasive species where they don't want them.
Also think of the diseases that can get introduced into wild bodies of water. People will be more willing to release "native fish" into waterways than a tropical fish that would die from the cold water alone.

i guess so but it still is head scratching

 

[Magnus_Bane]

I would also like to point out that most ppl in general don't want something that they can go out and catch themselves. Ppl always seem drawn to the "exotic". Honestly I love native sunfish species and wish they would become more common. I know I'm currently working on catching a male and 2 female orange spot sunfish to see if I can make em a bit more common in the hobby, also seems like a barely tapped market too. They are honestly gorgeous even compaired to some cichlids. I wonder how those pickerel would do in a tank with pike cichlids. I would imagine allot of fighting but it's possible it could work.

Lol I know if I cant catch any this year I might hit ya up and see if I can get a breeding pair to start working with.

 

[cichlid tank]

I would also like to point out that most ppl in general don't want something that they can go out and catch themselves. Ppl always seem drawn to the "exotic". Honestly I love native sunfish species and wish they would become more common. I know I'm currently working on catching a male and 2 female orange spot sunfish to see if I can make em a bit more common in the hobby, also seems like a barely tapped market too. They are honestly gorgeous even compaired to some cichlids. I wonder how those pickerel would do in a tank with pike cichlids. I would imagine allot of fighting but it's possible it could work.

Lol I know if I cant catch any this year I might hit ya up and see if I can get a breeding pair to start working with.

yea if i can get an orange spot ill donate to u, just share a pair if they breed haha. i know if you watch SC fish keeping he has natives. honestly if you are looking for a colorful fish for a 55+ aquarium in a living room or something, the orange spot sunfish is not far back on the list of most coloful

 

[tlindsey]

I also would like to add that some species don't do well in warm water so not everyone wants to hookup a chiller or setup aquarium in their basement. I personally like my native Rainbow Darter but Central Air went out and started losing them fast. I don't want to put anymore Darters in that situation again.

 

[Leo1234]

from what i remember you can't sell native fish without specific permits, though I can't remember the specific law for this. Many natives can handle room temperature fine and can color up quite a bit. They are definitely underrated in my opinion.

 

[Yuki-Rihwa]

Jexnell already said people are willing to release the native fish they catch into some water way that it does not belong and wiping out those fish species in that area. There is a local Park near my town has all Green Terror species and nothing else, it's killed or ate all other smaller fish species.