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EveryFish

Extinct or extinct in the wild

Gone, or surviving only in captivity. 15 fish on EveryFish so far.

Extinct means there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual of a species has died. Extinct in the Wild means a species survives only in captivity or in places outside its natural range. Fish have been lost to dams, drained wetlands, pumped-out springs, pollution, overfishing and introduced predators. Dozens of fish species have been declared extinct, and many more are feared lost but not yet confirmed.

Recent losses

The Chinese paddlefish of the Yangtze, which could grow to several metres, was declared extinct in 2022; it had not been seen since 2003, and dams had cut it off from its spawning grounds. The blue walleye of North America's Great Lakes disappeared by the 1980s after overfishing and pollution. The Tecopa pupfish of California, whose hot springs were rebuilt for bathhouses, was among the first fish removed from the US endangered species list because it had gone extinct.

Saved only in tanks

Some fish now survive only because people breed them. Several small livebearers and pupfish of Mexico exist mainly in aquariums and research collections, and hobbyists help keep them going. The Catarina pupfish of Mexico lasted in captivity after disappearing in the wild, but the last captive fish died in 2014. Cases like these show how small populations kept in a few tanks remain fragile without wild habitat to return to.

Famous extinct or extinct in the wild fish

Chinese paddlefishDeclared extinct in 2022Blue walleyeLost from the Great LakesHarelip suckerA North American fish lost around 1900 Tecopa pupfishTecopa pupfishLost when its springs were altered Catarina pupfishCatarina pupfishLasted in captivity until 2014

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
🇨🇳 ChinaChinese paddlefish A giant freshwater predator from China that is now extinct.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1862 🇦🇲 ArmeniaSevan trout Extinct endemic salmonid of Lake Sevan in ArmeniaSalmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇳🇿 New ZealandNew Zealand grayling Extinct amphidromous fish endemic to New Zealand rivers and seas.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreBlue walleye Extinct colour variant of the walleye from the Great LakesPerch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1926 🇨🇳 ChinaDabry's sturgeon Freshwater sturgeon native to the Yangtze River basin in China.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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Every Monday: the fish of the day, new pages on EveryFish, and the conferences and anniversaries of the week ahead.