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RiversEl Niño seen disrupting fish migration patternsSpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaRiversEl Niño seen disrupting fish migration patternsSpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-Nicola
EveryFish

Least concern

Widespread and not thought to be at risk. 286 fish on EveryFish so far.

Least Concern is the IUCN Red List category for species that have been assessed and are not close to qualifying as threatened. They are usually widespread and abundant. Many important food fish are in this category, including hilsa, rohu, skipjack tuna and Atlantic herring. Least Concern describes a species as a whole, worldwide; it does not mean that every local stock is healthy or well managed.

Common, not always safe

A fish can be Least Concern globally while particular populations are in trouble. Hilsa is widespread across the Bay of Bengal and its rivers, but its runs up the Ganges collapsed after the Farakka Barrage. Rohu and catla are abundant because they are farmed in huge numbers, while wild river stocks have declined. Herring stocks have crashed and recovered in different seas over the past century. Fisheries are managed stock by stock, so local assessments matter as much as the global category.

Back from the brink

Some fish have moved into Least Concern after recovering. The Atlantic bluefin tuna was listed as Endangered in 2011 after decades of overfishing; strict quotas set by the Atlantic tuna commission, ICCAT, and better enforcement let stocks recover, and in 2021 it was reassessed as Least Concern. Yellowfin tuna was moved from Near Threatened to Least Concern in the same update, though scientists warn that yellowfin in the Indian Ocean is still overfished.

Famous least concern fish

IlishLeast Concern globally, though local runs have fallenRohuAbundant thanks to farmingCatlaWidespread in farms and riversIndian mackerelA common schooling fish of the Indo-PacificSkipjack tunaThe most caught tunaAtlantic bluefin tunaMoved from Endangered to Least Concern in 2021Yellowfin tunaMoved to Least Concern in 2021Atlantic herringWidespread in the North Atlantic

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
🇵🇭 Philippines and 4 moreMilkfish The sole living species of the family Chanidae, found across the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇦🇺 Australia and 1 moreAustralian ghostshark A cartilaginous fish native to southern Australia and New Zealand waters.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldBlue-spotted grouper A widely distributed Indo-Pacific grouper known for its blue spots and invasive impact in Hawaii.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreGar Ancient armored fish with lung-like swim bladders found in North American waters.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇦🇴 Angola and 3 moreAtlantic mudskipper Semi-aquatic goby that walks on mudflats in West Africa.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1766 WorldAnglerfish Ray-finned fish using a modified dorsal fin ray as a lure to catch prey.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1829 WorldPorcupinefish Spiny marine fish that inflate into a defensive sphere to deter predators.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldGoatfish Benthic fish with chin barbels found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1758 WorldBigeye trevally A large marine fish found in tropical oceans, known for its nocturnal hunting and distinctive dark dorsal fin.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1825 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreReef stonefish A highly venomous marine fish known for its rock-like camouflage and potent toxins.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1801 🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 moreAnchovy Small, oily forage fish found in oceans and some rivers worldwide.Herring · Coasts and shelves 🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreEuropean smelt Small coastal fish with a cucumber scentOther · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesSpotted seatrout Estuarine drum fish of the US southeast coastOther · Estuaries and mangroves North AmericaAtlantic croaker Noisy marine fish of the western Atlantic coastOther · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreLingcod A large predatory fish of the North American Pacific coast.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreEuropean hake A predatory demersal fish of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreNorth Pacific hake A silver-gray marine fish found in the northeast Pacific Ocean, used for surimi production.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldHoundfish A large pelagic needlefish found in tropical oceans worldwide.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1821 WorldNorthern whiting A widespread marine fish found in the Indo-Pacific, known for its silvery body and ability to bury itself in sand.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1775 Blackspotted croaker 🇦🇺 Australia and 4 moreBlackspotted croaker Large Indo-Pacific marine fish prized for its high market value.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1802 WorldGiant trevally Large marine jack found across the Indo-Pacific, known for size and hunting skill.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1775 🇦🇺 AustraliaKing George whiting A large coastal fish endemic to southern Australia, known for its spotted pattern and commercial value.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1829 🇿🇦 South Africa and 4 moreJapanese meagre A large saltwater fish found across the Indo-Pacific region.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldMackerel A group of pelagic fish known for their speed, stripes, and role in global fisheries.Tuna · Open ocean WorldGrouper Marine ray-finned fish in the family Epinephelidae, known for large size and commercial value.Shark · Coasts and shelves WorldCobia A large, solitary marine fish found in warm tropical and subtropical waters worldwide.Other · Coasts and shelves Capelin WorldCapelin Small forage fish of the smelt family found in northern oceans.Other · Open ocean 🇳🇿 New Zealand and 1 moreSprat Small forage fish of the genus Sprattus and related genera in the herring family.Herring · Coasts and shelves 🇮🇸 Iceland and 2 moreLumpfish A round, sucker-finned fish from the North Atlantic, prized for its roe and use in salmon farming.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1758 WorldBarracuda Large predatory saltwater fish with sharp teeth found in tropical oceans.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1758 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGiant mudskipper Large amphibious goby found in Indo-Pacific mangroves.Other · Rivers and lakes WorldSwordfish Large migratory fish with a long flat bill, sole member of its family.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreStriped bass Anadromous marine fish native to the Atlantic coast of North America, known for sport fishing and culinary use.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 Australia and 4 moreBarramundi A catadromous fish found across the Indo-West Pacific, valued for sport and aquaculture.Other · Rivers and lakes

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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.