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(CNN) A fishy ruling from California: A California court has ruled bees can legally be considered fish under specific circumstances.

The ruling, released May 31, reversed an earlier judgment which found bumblebees could n ot b e considered “fish” under the C alifornia E ndangered Species Act.

“The issue presented here is whether the bumblebee, a terrestrial invertebrate, falls within the definition of fish, as that term is used in the definitions of e ndangered species i n section 2062, threatened species in s ection 2067, a nd candidate s pecies (i.e., s pecies b eing c onsidered for listing a s endangered or t hreatened species) i n section 2068 of the Act,” wrote California’s Third District Court of Appeal in its ruling.

The California E ndangered S pecies A ct was d esigned to p rotect “native species or subspecies o f a bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, or plant.”

Notably, invertebrates a re a bsent from the list o f protected species.

Manatees s wim in the H omosassa River on O ctober 0 5, 2021 i n Homosassa, Florida. C onservation groups announced on Wednesday that the US Fish and Wildlife Service will update its protections for manatee habitats in Florida. Federal officials agree to update Florida manatees' protected habitat for the first time in 50 years

But in a lucky loophole for insects, mollusks, and other spineless creatures falling under the umbrella term “invertebrate,” the act itself defines a “fish” as “a wild fish, mollusk, crustacean, invertebrate, amphibian, or part, spawn, or ovum of any of those animals.”

Expanding the definition of fish to include invertebrates makes them eligible for greater protection from the F ish and Game Commission, w rote the court.