
As of July 2017, the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natur ...
(IUCN) lists 1,000
critically endangered fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% ...
species, including 87 which are tagged as ''possibly extinct''.
3.0% of all evaluated fish species are listed as critically endangered.
The IUCN also lists four fish subspecies as critically endangered.
Of the subpopulations of fish evaluated by the IUCN, 20 species subpopulations and one subspecies subpopulation have been assessed as critically endangered.
Additionally 3191 fish species (21% of those evaluated) are listed as ''
data deficient
A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessarily ...
'', meaning there is insufficient information for a full assessment of conservation status. As these species typically have small distributions and/or populations, they are intrinsically likely to be threatened, according to the IUCN. While the category of ''data deficient'' indicates that no assessment of extinction risk has been made for the taxa, the IUCN notes that it may be appropriate to give them "the same degree of attention as threatened taxa, at least until their status can be assessed."
This is a complete list of critically endangered fish species and subspecies evaluated by the IUCN. Species considered possibly extinct by the IUCN are marked as such. Species and subspecies which have critically endangered subpopulations (or stocks) are indicated.
Cartilaginous fishes
Includes sharks, rays, skates, and shovelnose rays. The majority of the order
Rhinopristiformes
Rhinopristiformes is an order of rays, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks, containing shovelnose rays and allied groups.
Families
* Family Glaucostegidae (giant guitarfishes)
* Family Pristidae (sawfishes)
* Family Rhinidae (wedgefishes)
* ...
, which includes sawfish, guitarfish, wedgefish, and other shovelnose rays, is considered critically endangered, with 28 of its 64 evaluated species considered critically endangered by the IUCN.
Carchariniformes
*
Pondicherry shark
The Pondicherry shark (''Carcharhinus hemiodon'') is an extremely rare species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae. A small and stocky gray shark, it grows not much longer than and has a fairly long, pointed snout. This species can ...
''(Carcharhinus hemiodon)''
*
Ganges shark ''(Glyphus gangeticus)''
*
Scalloped bonnethead
The scalloped bonnethead (''Sphyrna corona'') is a rare, little-known species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. Its other common names include the mallethead shark and the crown shark. It is found in tropical and subtropical waters ...
''(Sphyrna corona)''
*
Smalleye hammerhead
The smalleye hammerhead (''Sphyrna tudes''), also called the golden hammerhead or curry shark, is a small species of hammerhead shark in the family Sphyrnidae. This species is common in the shallow coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, fr ...
''(Sphyrna tudes)''
*
Scoophead
The scoophead (''Sphyrna media'') is a little-known species of hammerhead shark, part of the family Sphyrnidae. It inhabits the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, from Panama to southern Brazil, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean from ...
''(Sphyrna media)''
*
Great hammerhead ''(Sphyrna mokarran)''
*
Scalloped hammerhead
The scalloped hammerhead (''Sphyrna lewini'') is a species of hammerhead shark in the family (biology), family Hammerhead shark, Sphyrnidae. It was originally known as ''Zygaena lewini''. The Greek language, Greek word ''sphyrna'' translates into ...
''(Sphyrna lewini)''
*
Lost shark
The lost shark (''Carcharhinus obsolerus''), previously known as the false smalltail shark, is a possibly extinct species of requiem shark (family Carcharhinidae). It is known only from the Western Central Pacific Ocean, in the southern South ...
''(Carcharhinus obsoletus)''
*
Borneo shark
The Borneo shark (''Carcharhinus borneensis'') is a species of requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae. Extremely rare, it is known only from inshore waters around Mukah in northwestern Borneo, though it may once have been more wide ...
''(Carcharhinus borneensis)''
*
Tope ''(Galeorhinus galeus)''
*
Whitefin topeshark
The whitefin topeshark (''Hemitriakis leucoperiptera'') is a houndshark of the family Triakidae, found only in the tropical waters of the Philippines between latitudes 20° N and 5° N. They inhabit the coastal areas. They can grow up to a len ...
''(Hemitriakis leucoperiptera)''
*
Daggernose shark ''(Isogomphon oxyrhynchus)''
*
Indian swellshark
The Indian swellshark (''Cephaloscyllium silasi'') is a catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae found in the western Indian Ocean from Quilon, India and Sauqira Bay, Oman between latitude
In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifie ...
''(Cephaloscyllium silasi)''
*
Reticulated swellshark ''(Cephaloscyllium fasciatum)''
*
Sarawak pygmy swellshark ''(Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis)''
*
Whitefin swellshark
The whitefin swellshark (''Cephaloscyllium albipinnum'') is a little-known species of catshark, belonging to the family Scyliorhinidae, endemic to southeastern Australia. It is found down, on the outer continental shelf and upper continental ...
''(Cephaloscyllium albipinnum)''
*
Smalltail shark ''(Carcharhinus porosus)''
*
Pacific smalltail shark
The Pacific smalltail shark (''Carcharhinus cerdale'') is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae. It was described in 1898, but later mistakenly merged with '' Carcharhinus porosus''. The mistake was corrected in 2011. ...
''(Carcharhinus cerdale)''
*
Oceanic whitetip shark
The oceanic whitetip shark (''Carcharhinus longimanus''), also known as shipwreck shark, Brown Milbert's sand bar shark, brown shark, lesser white shark, nigano shark, oceanic white-tipped whaler, and silvertip shark, is a large pelagic requiem ...
''(Carcharhinus longimanus)''
*
Spotted houndshark ''(Triakis maculata)''
*
Speckled smoothhound ''(Mustelus mento)''
*
Narrownose smoothhound ''(Mustelus schmitti)''
*
Striped smoothhound ''(Mustelus fasciatus)''
*
Humpback smoothhound ''(Mustelus whitneyi)''
Lamniformes
*
Sand tiger shark
The sand tiger shark (''Carcharias taurus''), gray nurse shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark or blue-nurse sand tiger, is a species of shark that inhabits subtropical and temperate waters worldwide. It inhabits the continental shelf, from sandy sh ...
''(Carcharius taurus)''
Orectolobiformes
*
Shorttail nurse shark ''(Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum)''
Squaliformes
*
Dwarf gulper shark
The dwarf gulper shark (''Centrophorus atromarginatus'') is a dogfish of the family Centrophoridae found in the Indo-West Pacific oceans, from the Gulf of Aden, Japan, Taiwan, and northern Papua New Guinea.
As a Squaliform, ''Centrophorus atrom ...
''(Centrophorus atromarginatus)''
Squatiniformes
*
Angelshark ''(Squatina squatina)''
*
Smoothback angelshark
The smoothback angelshark (''Squatina oculata'') is an angelshark of the family Squatinidae found in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Description
The smoothback angelshark can reach a length of up to 1.6 metres. As with other angelsharks ...
''(Squatina oculata)''
*
Sawback angelshark ''(Squatina aculeata)''
*
Hidden angelshark
The hidden angelshark ''(Squatina occulta)'' is a species of angelshark that was named by Carolus Maria Vooren and Kleber Grübel da Silva in 1994. It inhabits the Atlantic coastline of South America from southern Brazil to Argentina. Hidden ang ...
''(Squatina occulta)''
*
Japanese angelshark ''(Squatina japonica)''
*
Indonesian angelshark
The Indonesian angelshark (''Squatina legnota'') is a rare species of angelshark, family Squatinidae, known only from a few specimens collected from fish landing sites in southern Indonesia. It is thought to inhabit the deep waters of the contin ...
''(Squatina legnota)''
*
Argentine angelshark
The Argentine angelshark (''Squatina argentina'') is an angelshark of the family Squatinidae.
Measurements
''Born:'' N/A.; ''Mature:'' ~ 100.0 cm - 120 cm TL; ''Max:'' 138 (?170) cm TL.
Identification
''Colour:'' Are a purplish-brown ...
''(Squatina argentina)''
*
Chilean angelshark
The Chilean angelshark (''Squatina armata'') is an angelshark of the family Squatinidae found in the subtropical waters of Chile, that grows up to in length. The holotype is lost. Reproduction is ovoviviparous
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovi ...
''(Squatina armata)''
Rajiformes
*
Common blue skate
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally ...
*
Longnose skate
*
Bignose fanskate
The bignose fanskate (''Sympterygia acuta'') is a species of fish in the family Arhynchobatidae. It is found off Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are open sea
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is ...
*
Flapper skate
*
Menni's skate
*
Korean skate
*
Maltese skate
*
Spotback skate
Myliobatiformes
*
Wingfin stingray
The sharpsnout stingray or wingfin stingray (''Dasyatis geijskesi'') is a species of stingray in the family (biology), family Dasyatidae, found from off Venezuela to northern Brazil. It inhabits shallow, brackish water, shifting towards the coast ...
*
Smalltooth stingray
The smalltooth stingray (''Dasyatis rudis'') is an obscure species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, found in the Gulf of Guinea. It is known only from a stuffed specimen described by Albert Günther in 1870, which has since been lost. In 19 ...
*
Colares stingray
*
Smooth stingray
The short-tail stingray or smooth stingray (''Bathytoshia brevicaudata'') is a common species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It occurs off southern Africa, typically offshore at a depth of , and off southern Australia and New Zealand, fro ...
*
Pakistan whipray
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
*
Shorttail whipray
*
Thorny whipray
*
Smalleye round ray
*
Reticulate round ray
Reticulation is a net-like pattern, arrangement, or structure.
Reticulation or Reticulated may refer to:
* Reticulation (single-access key), a structure of an identification tree, where there are several possible routes to a correct identificat ...
*
Tentacled butterfly ray
*
Starrynose cowtail ray
*
Lusitanian cownose ray
The Lusitanian cownose ray (''Rhinoptera marginata'') is a species of eagle ray found along the western coast of Africa and Mediterranean Sea. It is apparently very rare in the Mediterranean Sea, but is common in shallow waters off the western Afr ...
*
Java stingaree
The Java stingaree (''Urolophus javanicus'') is a species of Myliobatiformes, stingray in the family (biology), family Urolophidae, known only from a single female specimen long caught off Jakarta, Indonesia. This species is characterized by an ...
*
Common eagle ray
The common eagle ray (''Myliobatis aquila'') is a species of fish in the family Myliobatidae. It inhabits the eastern Atlantic Ocean (North Sea to South Africa), the Mediterranean Sea and the south-western Indian Ocean.
Description
The common e ...
*
Duckbill eagle ray Duckbill may refer to:
* Platypus, ''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''
* Duckbill dinosaurs, family Hadrosauridae
* Duckbill fishes, family Percophidae
* Duckbill eels, family Nettastomatidae
* Duckbill choke, a shotgun accessory
* Duckbill valve, a va ...
*
Shortnose eagle ray
The shortnose eagle ray (''Myliobatis ridens'') is a species of eagle ray that lives in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean off Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
References
Myliobatis
Fish described in 2012
{{Chondrichthyes-stub ...
Rhinopristiformes
*
Largetooth sawfish ''(Pristis pristis)''
*
Smalltooth sawfish ''(Pristis pectinata)''
*
Green sawfish ''(Pristis zijsron)''
*
Giant guitarfish ''(Glaucostegus typus)''
*
Halavi guitarfish
The halavi guitarfish (''Glaucostegus halavi'') is a species of ray found in the Indo-West Pacific (Red Sea to Gulf of Oman, with unconfirmed records in the area east of Oman). Recorded twice, in 1997 and 2004, in the levantine waters, the quest ...
''(Glaucostegus halavi)''
*
Bowmouth guitarfish ''(Rhina ancylostoma)''
* Smoothback guitarfish ''(Rhinobatus lionotus)''
* Spineback guitarfish ''(Rhinobatos irvinei)''
*
Sharpnose guitarfish
The sharpnose guitarfish (''Glaucostegus granulatus'') is a species of ray in the Rhinobatidae family.
It is found near Australia, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet ...
''(Glaucostegus granulatus)''
*
Stripenose guitarfish
The stripenose guitarfish (''Acroteriobatus variegatus'') is a species of fish in the Rhinobatidae family endemic to the eastern coast of India, and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, transli ...
''(Acroteriobatus variegatus)''
*
Clubnose guitarfish
The clubnose guitarfish ''(Glaucostegus thouin)'' is a critically endangered species of ray in the Glaucostegidae family. It is found from shallow coastal waters to a depth of in the Indo-Pacific, ranging from India to Southeast Asia, and also ...
''(Glaucostegus thouin)''
*
Widenose guitarfish
The widenose guitarfish (''Glaucostegus obtusus'') is a species of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. It is found in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Its natural habitats are open seas, shallow s ...
''(Glaucostegus obtusus)''
*
Whitespotted guitarfish ''(Rhynchobatus djiddensis)''
* Jimbaran guitarfish ''(Rhinobatos jimbaraensis)''
*
Brown guitarfish
The brown guitarfish (''Rhinobatos schlegelii'') is a species of fish in the Rhinobatidae family. It is found in western Pacific of Taiwan and the Philippines. Its natural habitats are open seas, shallow seas, coral reefs, and estuarine
An es ...
''(Rhinobatos schlegeii)''
*
Blackchin guitarfish
The blackchin guitarfish (''Rhinobatos cemiculus'' or sometimes ''Glaucostegus cemiculus'') is a species of cartilaginous fish in the family Rhinobatidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a bottom-dwelli ...
''(Glaucostegus cemiculus)''
* Bengal guitarfish ''(Rhinobatus annandalei)''
*
Brazilian guitarfish ''(Pseudobatus horkelii)''
*
Common guitarfish ''(Rhinobatos rhinobatos)''
* Philippine guitarfish ''(Rhinobatos whitei)''
*
Broadnose wedgefish
The broadnose wedgefish (''Rhynchobatus springeri'') is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family. It is found in coastal and estuarine habitats in southeast Asia, where documented from Java, Borneo, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand.Compagn ...
''(Rhynchobatus springeri)''
*
Bottlenose wedgefish ''(Rhynchobatus australiae)''
*
Smoothnose wedgefish
The smoothnose wedgefish (''Rhynchobatus laevis'') is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family. It is found in northern Indian Ocean and northwestern Pacific Ocean, ranging from the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf east to Bangladesh, and South China ...
''(Rhynchobatus laevis)''
*
African wedgefish
The African wedgefish, guitarra, Lubbert's guitarfish, or spikenose wedgefish (''Rhynchobatus luebberti'') is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family. It is the only species in its genus to occur in the East Atlantic.
Etymology
The fish is name ...
''(Rhynchobatus luebberti)''
*
Taiwanese wedgefish ''(Rhynchobatus immaculatus)''
* Clown wedgefish ''(Rhynchobatus cooki)''
*
Whitespotted wedgefish ''(Rhinobatus albomaculatus)''
*
False shark ray
The false shark ray (''Rhynchorhina mauritaniensis'') is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family and the only species in the genus ''Rhynchorhina''. This rare ray is only known from shallow coastal Atlantic waters in Banc d’Arguin, Mauritani ...
''(Rhynchorhina mauritaniensis)''
Torpediniformes
* Red Sea torpedo ''(Torpedo suessii)''
*
Argentine torpedo ''(Tetronarce puelcha)''
Subpopulations
Ray-finned fishes
There are 431 species, four subspecies, four subpopulations of species, and one subpopulations of subspecies of ray-finned fish assessed as critically endangered.
Acipenseriformes
Acipenseriformes is an order of basal ray-finned fishes that includes living and fossil sturgeons and paddlefishes (Acipenseroidei), as well as the extinct families Chondrosteidae and Peipiaosteidae. They are the second earliest diver ...
Acipenseriformes includes sturgeons and paddlefishes. There are 17 species and one subpopulation in the order Acipenseriformes assessed as critically endangered.
Sturgeons
Species
Subpopulations
*
White sturgeon
White sturgeon (''Acipenser transmontanus'') is a species of sturgeon in the family Acipenseridae of the order Acipenseriformes. They are an anadromous fish species ranging in the Eastern Pacific; from the Gulf of Alaska to Monterey, California ...
''(Acipenser transmontanus)'' (2 subpopulations)
Salmoniformes
Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish that constitutes the only currently extant family in the order Salmoniformes . It includes salmon (both Atlantic and Pacific species), trout (both ocean-going and landlocked), chars, freshwater whitefish ...
Species
Subpopulations of species
*
Sockeye salmon
The sockeye salmon (''Oncorhynchus nerka''), also called red salmon, kokanee salmon, blueback salmon, or simply sockeye, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it. This species is a ...
''(Oncorhynchus nerka)'' (4 subpopulations)
Subpopulations of subspecies
*
Aral sea trout ''(Salmo trutta aralensis)'' (1 subpopulation)
Silversides
Toothcarps
Species
Subspecies
*''
Epiplatys fasciolatus josianae
''Epiplatys'' is a genus of African rivuline in the family Nothobranchiidae endemic to Africa as the name indicates. Several of these species are popular aquarium fish.
Species
These are the currently recognized species in this genus:
* ''Epipla ...
''
*
Ejagham killi ''(Fundulopanchax gardneri lacustris)''
Cypriniformes
Cypriniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches, and relatives. Cypriniformes is an Order within the Superorder Ostariophysi consisting of "Carp-like" Ostariophysins. This order contains 11-12 familie ...
Cypriniformes includes carps, minnows, loaches and relatives. There are 145 species, one subspecies, and one subpopulation in the order Cypriniformes assessed as critically endangered.
Hillstream loaches
True loaches
Cyprinids
Species
Subspecies
*''
Rhodeus ocellatus smithii
''Rhodeus smithii'', sometimes known as the Japanese rosy bitterling, Japanese bitterling, or Nippon baratanago is a temperate freshwater fish belonging to the Acheilognathinae subfamily of the family Cyprinidae. It originates in stagnant wa ...
''
Subpopulations
*
Common carp
The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...
''(Cyprinus carpio)'' (1 subpopulation)
Psilorhynchids
*''
Psilorhynchus tenura
''Psilorhynchus tenura'' is a critically endangered fish found in genus ''Psilorhynchus''. It is endemic to the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India, where it is restricted to two locations on the Tunga River near Sringeri
Sringeri (IAST: � ...
''
Suckers
*
June sucker
The June sucker (''Chasmistes liorus'') is an endangered species of fish endemic to Utah Lake and the Provo River in the U.S. state of Utah. It is a gray or brownish fish with a paler belly, growing up to about . It lives alongside the Utah suc ...
''(Chasmistes liorus)''
*
Razorback sucker ''(Xyrauchen texanus)''
Osmeriformes
Catfishes
Perciformes
Perciformes (), also called the Percomorpha or Acanthopteri, is an order or superorder of ray-finned fish. If considered a single order, they are the most numerous order of vertebrates, containing about 41% of all bony fish. Perciformes means ...
There are 144 species, one subspecies, and one subpopulation in the order Perciformes assessed as critically endangered.
Cichlids
Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this ...
Species
Subspecies
*''
Chromidotilapia guntheri loennbergii
''Chromidotilapia'' is a genus of cichlid fishes. The genus contains 11 species. Of these, 9 are from Central Africa, one (''C. guentheri'') is found from Liberia to Cameroon, while the remaining species (''C. cavalliensis'') is restricted to Côt ...
''
Percids
Gobies
Gobiidae or gobies is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and th ...
Other Perciformes
Species
Subpopulations
*
Atlantic wreckfish ''(Polyprion americanus)'' (1 subpopulation)
Characiformes
Characiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, comprising the characins and their allies. Grouped in 18 recognized families, more than 2000 different species are described, including the well-known piranha and tetras.; Buckup P.A.: "Relationshi ...
Other ray-finned fish species
Other fish species
See also
*
Lists of IUCN Red List critically endangered species
*
List of least concern fishes
*
List of near threatened fishes
*
List of vulnerable fishes
As of September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 1245 vulnerable fish species. 8.1% of all evaluated fish species are listed as vulnerable.
The IUCN also lists eight fish subspecies as vulnerable.
Of the ...
*
List of endangered fishes
*
List of recently extinct fishes
*
List of data deficient fishes
As of September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 3191 data deficient fish species. 21% of all evaluated fish species are listed as data deficient.
The IUCN also lists 12 fish subspecies as data deficient.
Of ...
*
Sustainable seafood advisory lists and certification
Sustainable seafood advisory lists and certification are programs aimed at increasing consumer awareness of the environmental impact and sustainability of their seafood purchasing choices.
California-based Seafood Watch and Marine Conservation ...
References
01
*Fish
Critically endangered fish
Critically endangered fish
Critically endangered fish
*Fish
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