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EveryFish

Endangered

At very high risk in the wild. 51 fish on EveryFish so far.

Endangered is the middle of the three IUCN Red List threatened categories. An Endangered species faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild, for example after a fall of 50 per cent or more in numbers over ten years or three generations. Fish listed as Endangered include the whale shark, the giant oceanic manta ray, the humphead wrasse, the golden mahseer and the Japanese eel.

Giants of the sea

The whale shark was moved to Endangered in 2016 after its numbers fell by more than half in the Indo-Pacific, mainly from fishing and collisions with ships. The giant oceanic manta ray, the shortfin mako and the basking shark are also Endangered. The humphead wrasse, a reef giant, has been Endangered since 2004 because of the live reef fish trade. The southern bluefin tuna improved from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 2021 under catch limits.

India's endangered fish

The golden mahseer of Himalayan rivers is Endangered, harmed by dams, sand mining, pollution and poaching. The magur, the native air-breathing catfish of Indian ponds and swamps, was listed as Endangered in 2023 as wetlands were drained and the invasive African catfish spread. The Denison barb of Kerala's hill streams is Endangered after years of collection for the aquarium trade and habitat loss. Hatcheries now breed all three.

Famous endangered fish

Whale sharkEndangered since 2016Giant oceanic manta raySlow-breeding, caught for gill platesHumphead wrasseTaken for the live reef fish tradeGolden mahseerThe golden mahseerSouthern bluefin tunaImproved from Critically Endangered in 2021Magur catfishIndia's native magur catfishDenison barbA Kerala hill-stream fish

Still to be written: Japanese eel.

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
🇹🇿 Tanzania and 2 moreSingida tilapia A cichlid fish native to the Lake Victoria basin in East Africa.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 IndiaZebra loach A small, striped freshwater fish from India's Western Ghats, kept in aquariums and eaten locally.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1920 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreLake sturgeon A large, long-lived freshwater fish native to North America.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesPallid sturgeon An endangered North American sturgeon species native to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1905 🇯🇵 JapanNigorobuna Wild carp from Lake Biwa used for fermented sushi.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 AustraliaEel-tailed catfish Venomous freshwater catfish native to eastern AustraliaCatfish · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreJullien's golden carp Endangered Southeast Asian river fish with five stripesCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇹 ItalyCarpione Endangered salmonid fish native to Lake Garda in Italy.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesCalifornia golden trout Native high-elevation trout of the Sierra NevadaSalmonid · Rivers and lakes · 1892 🇹🇭 Thailand and 3 moreGiant freshwater stingray The widest freshwater fish in the world, found in Southeast Asian rivers.Ray · Rivers and lakes · 1852 🇦🇺 AustraliaSilver Perch A threatened freshwater grunter endemic to the Murray-Darling basin in Australia.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreWhite sturgeon Large North American sturgeon found in Pacific rivers and estuaries.Ancient · Rivers and lakes

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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