Which fish are legally considered domestic in France?

In France, the Order of 11 August 2006 (French-language guide) does not classify every aquarium species as domestic. It specifically lists:

• koi carp (Cyprinus carpio);
• goldfish and Japanese goldfish, written in the order as Carassins auratus;
• domestic breeds and varieties of guppy (Poecilia reticulata);
• domestic breeds and varieties of danio, written as Brachydanio rerio;
• domestic breeds and varieties of Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens).

The legal text uses older taxonomy: the accepted scientific names are now Carassius auratus and Danio rerio. Updating the taxonomy does not change the legal scope of the list.

For koi and goldfish/Japanese goldfish, the wording directly covers the listed forms. For guppy, danio and betta, it covers domestic breeds and varieties, not necessarily every wild population of the species.

Domestic status does not remove welfare, sale, live-fish transport or animal-health obligations. Conversely, “non-domestic” does not automatically mean prohibited: the French-language guide to the 2018 keeping rules explains how the regime depends on species, numbers, activity and protected- or invasive-species rules. For professional activities, check the separate ACACED knowledge-certificate requirements. For travel from a non-EU country, see the requirements for entering France with pet fish.