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Critically endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction. 53 fish on EveryFish so far.

Critically Endangered is the highest risk category on the IUCN Red List for species still living in the wild. A Critically Endangered species faces an extremely high risk of extinction, for example after a fall of 80 per cent or more in numbers over ten years or three generations, or with very few adults left. Sawfish, many sturgeons, the European eel, the Mekong giant catfish and the hump-backed mahseer are here.

On the brink

The largetooth and smalltooth sawfishes have vanished from much of their former range, including large parts of India's coasts, because their saws tangle in nets. Most sturgeons, including the beluga of the Caspian, are Critically Endangered from dams and the caviar trade. The scalloped hammerhead and the oceanic whitetip shark were listed in 2019 after steep declines from fishing. The Devils Hole pupfish survives in one pool in Nevada.

India's critically endangered fish

The hump-backed mahseer of the Kaveri was listed as Critically Endangered in 2018, the year its scientific name was settled, after surveys found it had almost disappeared. The Ganges shark, a river shark of the Hooghly and the delta, is known from very few records. Both are protected under India's Wild Life (Protection) Act, along with the sawfishes. Saving such fish depends on protecting the rivers and coasts where they live, not only on hatcheries.

Famous critically endangered fish

Largetooth sawfishLost from much of its rangeBeluga sturgeonThe largest sturgeonEuropean eelCritically Endangered since 2008Mekong giant catfishOne of the largest freshwater fishOrange-finned mahseerThe hump-backed mahseer, listed in 2018Scalloped hammerheadListed Critically Endangered in 2019Ganges sharkA rare river shark of IndiaDevils Hole pupfishLives in a single pool

Further reading

GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
UseFood fishFarmedAquarium fishSport fishingCulture and faithVenomous or dangerousInvasiveScience and research
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy size
WorldDevil fish A large Mediterranean ray with a spiny tail and horn-like flaps.Ray · Coasts and shelves North AmericaNassau grouper A large reef fish critical to Caribbean fisheries now facing extinction risks.Perch-like · Coral reefs WorldSchool shark A temperate houndshark valued for liver oil and meat.Shark · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreSpiny butterfly ray A large Atlantic ray with a tail spine, valued for food and now critically endangered in many areas.Ray · Estuaries and mangroves WorldSawfish Large rays with a toothed rostrum found in tropical coastal waters.Ray · Coasts and shelves WorldBowmouth guitarfish A large, thorny ray with a W-shaped mouth found in the western Indo-Pacific.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1801 WorldGiant guitarfish A large coastal ray found in the western Indian Ocean and Red Sea, facing severe population declines.Ray · Coasts and shelves WorldCommon guitarfish A critically endangered cartilaginous fish native to the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.Shark · Coasts and shelves WorldAngelshark Flat-bodied sharks that bury themselves in sandy seabeds to ambush prey.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1758 WorldGreat hammerhead The largest hammerhead shark, known for its wide cephalofoil and critically endangered status.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1837 EuropeAllis shad Anadromous Atlantic fish with a dark gill spot.Herring · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 Australia and 4 moreLargetooth sawfish A critically endangered ray with a toothed rostrum that enters rivers.Ray · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 IndiaPondicherry shark A rare, small grey requiem shark from Indo-Pacific coasts.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1839 🇦🇺 Australia and 4 moreNarrow sawfish A rare ray with a toothed snout found in Indo-Pacific waters.Ray · Coasts and shelves 🇦🇺 Australia and 4 moreLongcomb sawfish A critically endangered sawfish with a toothed rostrum.Ray · Coasts and shelves WorldScalloped hammerhead A coastal shark with a distinctive indented head.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1834 🇨🇳 ChinaChinese sturgeon Critically endangered giant migratory fish of the YangtzeAncient · Rivers and lakes WorldPersian sturgeon A large Caspian Sea fish prized for caviar.Ancient · Coasts and shelves WorldStarry sturgeon Long-snouted sturgeon from the Caspian and Black Seas.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇦 Canada and 3 moreSturgeon Ancient fish with bony plates and heterocercal tails, known for caviar.Ancient · Rivers and lakes WorldBeluga sturgeon A massive anadromous fish from the Caspian and Black Sea basins, prized for its caviar.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 ChinaLarge yellow croaker A golden marine fish farmed in East Asia.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1846

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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