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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
WorldQueen parrotfish A colourful reef fish that turns coral into sandReef fish · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreAlewife A small North American herring that migrates between sea and rivers.Herring · Coasts and shelves WorldAnglerfish Ray-finned fish using a modified dorsal fin ray as a lure to catch prey.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1829 OceaniaBanded archerfish A silvery fish that spits water jets to catch prey.Perch-like · Estuaries and mangroves · 1767 WorldParrotfish Reef-dwelling wrasses with beak-like teeth that grind coral into sand.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves WorldDamselfish Small marine fish known for aggressive territorial behaviour and reef farming.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves WorldLionfish Venomous marine fish of the genus Pterois known for striking stripes and invasive spread.Ray · Coral reefs · 1900 WorldMoray eel A global family of elongated marine eels known for their powerful jaws and patterned skin.Eel · Coasts and shelves WorldGoatfish Benthic fish with chin barbels found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1758 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSailfin molly Small livebearing fish with a large dorsal fin in males.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1821 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 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreRed lionfish Venomous coral reef fish native to the Indo-Pacific and invasive in the Atlantic.Reef fish · Coral reefs · 1758 🇺🇸 United StatesBrown bullhead A hardy North American catfish known for surviving poor water conditions.Catfish · Rivers and lakes · 1819 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreSea trout Anadromous form of brown trout that migrates between sea and rivers.Salmonid · Between sea and river WorldBrown trout A widespread salmonid with river, lake and sea forms.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreBat ray A large eagle ray with wing-like fins found in the eastern Pacific.Ray · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreRound stingray A small coastal ray from the eastern Pacific known for its painful tail spine.Ray · Coasts and shelves WorldBluespotted ribbontail ray A small, colourful reef stingray with electric blue spots.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1775 🇨🇦 CanadaLittle skate Small Atlantic skate known for walking on the sea floor.Ray · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United StatesCoastal cutthroat trout A Pacific trout with red throat marksSalmonid · 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 WorldWahoo Fast tropical game fish with blue barsTuna · Open ocean 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreBlackfin tuna The smallest species of tuna, found in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.Tuna · Coasts and shelves 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreHaddock A North Atlantic cod family fish known for its black shoulder blotch and smoked preparations.Cod · Coasts and shelves · 1758 WorldAlbacore A large, long-finned tuna species known for its white meat and global distribution.Tuna · Coasts and shelves · 1788 WorldSardine Small, oily forage fish in the herring suborder Clupeoidei.Herring · Coasts and shelves WorldMackerel A group of pelagic fish known for their speed, stripes, and role in global fisheries.Tuna · Open ocean WorldHerring Small, silvery forage fish that form large schools in temperate oceans and are vital to global fisheries.Herring · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreHalibut Large flatfish species prized for food and sport in northern oceans.Flatfish · Coasts and shelves 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreAtlantic herring Abundant schooling fish of the North AtlanticHerring · Coasts and shelves 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 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreKing mackerel A large, fast-swimming predatory fish of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.Tuna · Coasts and shelves WorldAtlantic bluefin tuna Large, warm-blooded tuna of the Atlantic and Mediterranean.Tuna · Open ocean · 1758 🇳🇿 New Zealand and 1 moreSprat Small forage fish of the genus Sprattus and related genera in the herring family.Herring · Coasts and shelves 🇳🇴 Norway and 4 moreAtlantic salmon A large anadromous fish found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and its rivers.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreChinook salmon The largest Pacific salmon species, prized for size and food value.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 4 moreIlish Anadromous herring species prized as a delicacy in South Asia and the Middle East.Herring · Rivers and lakes 🇲🇻 Maldives and 4 moreSkipjack tuna A fast-swimming tropical tuna vital to global fisheries.Tuna · Open ocean 🇺🇸 United States and 1 morePacific halibut A large flatfish found in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.Flatfish · Coasts and shelves EuropeEuropean plaice A common flatfish with orange spots found on European sandy seabeds.Flatfish · Coasts and shelves 🇳🇴 Norway and 3 moreEuropean sprat A small schooling fish in the herring family found across European seas.Herring · Coasts and shelves · 1758 🇳🇴 Norway and 1 moreBrosme A deep-water North Atlantic cod-like fish known for its single dorsal fin and commercial value.Cod · 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
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Every Monday: the fish of the day, new pages on EveryFish, and the conferences and anniversaries of the week ahead.