Species tables for Utah's fish, mollusks and crustaceans

Learn more about possession limits, prohibited species and mandatory reporting.

Utah has the following classifications for the collection and possession of fish, mollusks and crustaceans:

• Prohibited — Utah's prohibited species include aquatic animals that are classified as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act as well as species that have been documented to cause ecological or economic harm within the United States. Prohibited species cannot be collected or possessed in any number without a variance (exception) obtained from the Utah Wildlife Board. Then, a certificate of registration must be issued by the DWR before any prohibited species can be collected or possessed.
• Controlled — Controlled species are animals whose illegal release could impact native fish, mollusk or crustacean populations, or damage valuable sportfish populations.

• Noncontrolled — Noncontrolled species are those that have either:

  • Low probability of survival if they are illegally introduced in Utah.
  • Minimal impact on other species if they are released.

  Noncontrolled species are widely available at pet shops. Most (but not all) ornamental fish, mollusks and crustaceans are classified as noncontrolled. Convict cichlids, piranhas, red-bellied pacu and tilapia are sometimes illegally sold at pet stores, and the possession of these species is prohibited.

  Noncontrolled species can be purchased from in-state vendors without a COR from the DWR. However, an import permit from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is required if any species (including noncontrolled species) are imported into Utah from another state.

Important: Once you remove any fish, mollusk, or crustacean from the wild — whether it's non-native or native — it may not be released back into the wild.

Prohibited species (possession limit is zero)

The following species are classified as prohibited for any collection and possession, which means you may not collect them from the wild and keep them unless you have special approval (called a variance) from the Utah Wildlife Board:

Prohibited fishes
Common name	Scientific classification	Comments
Alewife	Alosa pseudoharengus
Asian swamp eel	Monopterus albus
Bighead carp	Hypophthalmichthys nobilis
Black carp	Mylopharyngodon piceus
Bonytail	Gila elegans
Bowfin	Amia calva
Brook stickleback	Culaea inconstans
Burbot	Lota lota
Colorado pikeminnow	Ptychocheilus lucius
Convict cichlid	Amatitlania nigrofasciata
Eurasian ruffe	Gymnocephalus cernuus
Flathead catfish	Pylodictis olivaris
Gar	Family Lepisosteidae	All species
Grass carp (diploid)	Ctenopharyngodon idella	Triploid grass carp classified as controlled
Humpback chub	Gila cypha
Ide	Leuciscus idus
June sucker	Chasmistes liorus
Piranhas (all species)	Genus Catoprion, genus Pristobrycon, genus Pygocentrus, genus Pygopristis and genus Serrasalmus	All species
Nile perch	Lates niloticus
Northern snakehead	Channa argus
Razorback sucker	Xyrauchen texanus
Red-bellied pacu	Piaractus brachypomus
Red shiner	Cyprinella lutrensis
Round goby	Neogobius melanostomus
Rudd	Scardinius erythrophthalmus
Sand shiner	Notropis stramineus
Sea lamprey	Petromyzon marinus
Silver carp	Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
South American parasitic catfish	Family Cetopsidae and family Trichomycteridae	All species
Tiger fish	Hydrocynus vittatus
Tench	Tinca tinca
Tilapia	Genus Coelotilapia, genus Coptodon, genus Heterotilapia, genus Oreochromis and genus Sarotherodon	All species
Virgin River chub	Gila seminuda
Walking catfish	Clarias batrachus
Woundfin	Plagopterus argentissimus
Zander	Sander lucioperca
All fish species that are not listed as noncontrolled, controlled or prohibited are presumed prohibited.

Prohibited mollusks
Common name	Scientific classification	Comments
Asian clam	Corbicula fluminea
Channeled apple snail	Pomacea canaliculata
Brown garden snail	Cornu asperum
Cellar glass-snail	Oxychilus cellarius
Chinese mystery snail	Cipangopaludina chinensis
Decollate snail	Rumina decollata
Faucet snail	Bithynia tentaculata
Giant floater	Pyganodon grandis
Giant garden slug	Limax maximus
Golden mussel	Limnoperna fortunei
Gray field slug	Deroceras reticulatum
New Zealand mud snail	Potamopyrgus antipodarum
Paper pondshell	Lymnaea stagnalis
Quagga mussel	Dreissena rostriformis
Red-rimmed melania	Melanoides tuberculata
Southern flatcoil	Polygyra cereolus
Veined rapa whelk	Rapana venosa
Zebra mussel	Dreissena polymorpha
All mollusk species that are not listed as noncontrolled, controlled or prohibited are presumed prohibited.

Prohibited crustaceans
Common name	Scientific classification	Comments
Asian shore crab	Hemigrapsus sanguineus
Chinese mitten crab	Eriocheir sinensis
European green crab	Carcinus maenas
Fishhook water flea	Cercopagis pengoi
Killer shrimp	Dikerogammarus villosus
Marbled crayfish	Procambarus virginalis
Marron crayfish	Cherax tenuimanus
Redclaw crayfish	Cherax quadricarinatus
Rusty crayfish	Orconectes rusticus
Signal crayfish	Pacifastacus leniusculus
Spiny water flea	Bythotrephes longimanus
Yabby crayfish	Cherax destructor
All crustacean species that are not listed as noncontrolled, controlled or prohibited are presumed prohibited.

Controlled species

The following species are classified as controlled for collection and possession, which means you may not collect them from the wild and keep them unless you receive a certificate of registration from the DWR.

Controlled fishes
Common name	Scientific classification	Comments
Bear Lake sculpin	Cottus extensus
Bear Lake whitefish	Prosopium abyssicola
Black crappie	Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Bluegill	Lepomis macrochirus
Bluehead sucker	Catostomus discobolus
Bonneville cisco	Prosopium gemmifer
Bonneville whitefish	Prosopium spilonotus
Brook trout	Salvelinus fontinalis
Brown trout	Salmo trutta
Bullhead (all species)	Ameiurus sp
Channel catfish	Ictalurus punctatus
Common carp	Cyprinus carpio
Cutthroat trout	Oncorhynchus clarkii
Desert sucker	Catostomus clarkii
Fathead minnow	Pimephales promelas
Flannelmouth sucker	Catostomus latipinnis
Lake trout	Salvelinus namaycush
Largemouth bass	Micropterus salmoides
Least chub	Lotichthys phlegethontis
Longnose dace	Rhinichthys cataractae
Mottled sculpin	Cottus bairdii
Mountain sucker	Catostomus platyrhynchus
Mountain whitefish	Prosopium williamsoni
Northern leatherside chub	Lepidomeda copei
Northern pike	Esox lucius
Paiute sculpin	Cottus beldingii
Rainbow trout	Oncorhynchus mykiss
Redside shiner	Richardsonius balteatus
Roundtail chub	Gila robusta
Smallmouth bass	Micropterus dolomieu
Southern leatherside chub	Lepidomeda aliciae
Speckled dace	Rhinichthys osculus
Splake trout	Salvelinus namaycush x Salvelinus fontinalis
Striped bass	Morone saxatilis
Tiger muskellunge	Esox masquinongy x Exox lucius
Tiger trout	Salmo trutta x Salvelinus fontinalis
Utah chub	Gila atraria
Virgin spinedace	Lepidomeda mollispinis
Walleye	Sander vitreus
Western mosquitofish	Gambusia affinis
White bass	Morone chrysops
White crappie	Pomoxis annularis
Wiper	Morone saxatilis x Morone chrysops
Yellow perch	Perca flavescens

Controlled mollusks
Common name	Scientific classification	Comments
Ambersnails	Genus Oxiloma, genus Catinella and genus Succinea	All species
Brown hive	Euconulus fulvus
Columns and Daggers	Genus Columella, genus Pupilla and genus Pupoides	All species
Creeping ancylid	Ferrissia rivularis
Desert tryonia	Tryonia porrecta
Floater	Genus Anodonta	All species
Freshwater clams	Genus Musculium, genus Pisidium and genus Sphaerium	All species
Gems	Genus Hawaiia and genus Ogaridaiscus	All species
Glass snails	Genus Glyphyalinia and genus Nesovitrea	All species
Glosses	Genus Zonitoides	All species
Green River pebblesnail	Fluminicola coloradensis
Mexican coil	Helicodiscus eigenmanni
Mountain snails	Genus Oreohelix	All species
Mud amnicola	Amnicola limosus
Physas	Genus Aplexa, genus Physa and genus Physella	All species
Pondsnails and marshsnails	Genus Galba, genus Lymnaeasp and genus Stagnicola	All species
Rams-horns and gyros	Genus Gyraulus, genus Helisoma, genus Menetus, genus Planorbella and genus Promentus	All species
Rocky Mountain duskysnail	Colligyrus greggi
Small spot disks	Genus Disk	All species
Snaggletooths and vertigo	Genus Gastrocopta and genus Vertigo	All species
Springsnails	Genus Pyrgulopsis	All species
Spruce snail	Microphysula ingersolli
Vallonias	Genus Vallonia	All species
Valvatas	Genus Valvata	All species
Western glass-snail	Vitrina pellucida
Western pearlshell	Margaritifera falcata

Controlled crustaceans
Common name	Scientific classification	Comments
Brine shrimp	Genus Artemia	All species
Northern (virile) crayfish	Faxonius virilis
Pilose crayfish	Pacifastacus gambelii

Noncontrolled species

The following species can be purchased without completing the orientation course and receiving a variance from the DWR. Many of these species are available at pet stores.

Noncontrolled fishes, mollusks and crustaceans
Common name	Scientific classification	Comments
Any ornamental aquatic animal species except those classified as prohibited
Any marine aquatic animal species except those classified as prohibited