It is completely illegal to keep goldfish in round, spherical bowls or to give them away as fairground prizes.

Trouble-o-Meter
Fines were immediately enforced at local fairs and carnivals.

Status: still on the books

Why Is This a Law?

Animal rights experts explained that round fishbowls do not provide enough surface area for oxygen, slowly suffocating the fish. They also argued the curved glass causes fish to go blind. The city passed a sweeping statute to outlaw the classic bowl entirely.

A citizen earnestly dealing with the law: It is completely illegal to keep goldfish in round, spherical bowls or to give them away as fairground prizes.