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EveryFish

Least concern

Widespread and not thought to be at risk. 225 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

RohuAbundant thanks to farming

Still to be written: Ilish, Catla, Indian mackerel, Skipjack tuna, Atlantic bluefin tuna, Yellowfin tuna, Atlantic herring.

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
WorldRegal blue tang Bright blue reef fish with a yellow tail and black markings.Reef fish · Coral reefs 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreEstuarine stonefish A venomous marine ray-finned fish found in the Indo-Pacific region.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1766 North AmericaGreen moray Largest tropical Atlantic moray eel with green mucus coatingEel · Coasts and shelves 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreFrench angelfish A slow-growing Caribbean reef fish known for its sponge diet.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves · 1799 WorldBlue-spotted grouper A widely distributed Indo-Pacific grouper known for its blue spots and invasive impact in Hawaii.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldBluehead wrasse A small Atlantic reef fish known for changing sex and colour.Other · Coral reefs WorldClown triggerfish A striking black and white reef fish with a locking dorsal spine.Other · Coral reefs · 1801 🇺🇸 United StatesGaribaldi Bright orange damselfish and official marine state fish of California.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves · 1860 WorldRibbon eel A colour-changing moray eel from Indo-Pacific reefs.Eel · Coral reefs WorldYellow boxfish A bright yellow, cube-shaped reef fish with toxic mucus.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves · 1758 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreYellow tang Bright yellow Pacific reef fish kept in marine aquariums.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves · 1828 OceaniaPajama Cardinalfish Small, spotted reef fish known for male mouthbrooding.Other · Coral reefs 🇺🇸 United StatesReef triggerfish Hawaii’s official state fish with a pig-like snoutReef fish · Coral reefs WorldMoorish idol A striking black, white and yellow reef fish found across the Indo-Pacific.Reef fish · Coral reefs · 1758 WorldAnglerfish Ray-finned fish using a modified dorsal fin ray as a lure to catch prey.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1829 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreLargescale four-eyes Surface-dwelling fish with split eyes for dual vision.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1758 OceaniaBanded archerfish A silvery fish that spits water jets to catch prey.Perch-like · Estuaries and mangroves · 1767 WorldButterflyfish A global family of colourful tropical reef fish known for their bright patterns and coral diets.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves · 1815 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 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSailfin molly Small livebearing fish with a large dorsal fin in males.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1821 WorldWhitetail dascyllus A small Indo-Pacific reef fish with bold black and white stripes.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves WorldTrumpetfish Marine fish with a long tubular snout found in tropical reefs worldwide.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves · 1766 WorldOrnate ghost pipefish A camouflaged reef fish with variable colours and female brood pouches.Other · Coral reefs 🇮🇳 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 WorldEmperor angelfish A striking reef fish with bold blue and yellow stripes.Reef fish · Coral reefs · 1787 WorldQueen angelfish A colourful reef fish with a blue crown spot.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves · 1758 North AmericaYellow stingray Small, camouflaging stingray of the western Atlantic.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1816 🇺🇸 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 🇺🇸 United StatesSpotted ratfish Cartilaginous fish with a rat-like tail and venomous spineOther · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreAtlantic stingray Small stingray found in Atlantic coastal waters and fresh rivers.Ray · Rivers and lakes · 1824 WorldBluespotted ribbontail ray A small, colourful reef stingray with electric blue spots.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1775 🇺🇸 United StatesBig skate Largest skate in North American Pacific watersRay · Coasts and shelves · 1855 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreSwell shark A catshark that inflates its body for defenceShark · Coasts and shelves · 1880 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreLeopard shark A coastal Pacific houndshark with black saddle markings and spots.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1854 🇦🇺 Australia and 2 moreTasselled wobbegong A camouflaged carpet shark with a fringed head.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1867 🇦🇺 AustraliaEpaulette shark A small carpet shark that walks on coral reefs and survives low oxygen.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1788 🇿🇦 South Africa and 4 moreMozambique tilapia A hardy cichlid from southeastern Africa, now farmed globally and listed as a major invasive species.Cichlid · 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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