Near threatened
Close to qualifying as threatened. 55 fish on EveryFish so far.
Near Threatened is the IUCN Red List category for species that do not yet qualify as threatened but are close to it, or are likely to qualify soon without action. It is a warning: numbers or range are shrinking, but not fast enough, or not yet far enough, to be listed as Vulnerable. Several well-known food and game fish sit here, including the Pacific bluefin tuna, the Atlantic salmon and the Bombay duck.
Fish on the edge
The Pacific bluefin tuna was moved from Vulnerable to Near Threatened in 2021 after a partial recovery under catch limits. The Atlantic salmon moved the other way in 2023, from Least Concern to Near Threatened, as wild numbers fell by about a quarter between 2006 and 2020 because of dams, pollution, farm escapes and sea lice, and changes at sea. Tiger sharks and blue sharks, both caught in large numbers by longlines, are Near Threatened.
Indian fish near threatened
Several familiar fish of Indian markets are listed as Near Threatened, including the Bombay duck, assessed in 2019, the seer fish, the chital of Bengal's rivers and pabda. These fish are still caught and eaten widely, but scientists have recorded falling catches or shrinking ranges. Near Threatened fish are not protected by law because of the listing alone, but the category often prompts closer study and management.
Famous near threatened fish
Still to be written: Pacific bluefin tuna, Atlantic salmon, Chitala chitala.
Further reading
WorldSpotted eagle ray
Tropical ray with white spots and a long tail.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1790
🇺🇸 United StatesCutthroat trout
A group of Pacific trout native to western North America, known for red throat markings.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes · 1793
WorldGiant grouper
A massive Indo-Pacific reef fish and one of the largest bony species on Earth.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves · 1790
WorldGreen humphead parrotfish
The largest parrotfish species, known for its massive head and role in reef bioerosion.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreRainbow parrotfish
Largest Atlantic parrotfish found on coral reefs and in mangroves.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves
🇺🇸 United States and 1 morePacific lamprey
An anadromous parasitic jawless fish found along the Pacific Rim.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1872
🇷🇺 RussiaInconnu
A large anadromous whitefish native to the Caspian Sea basin.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreOncorhynchus
A genus of migratory fish native to the North Pacific basin.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes
WorldSkate
Cartilaginous fish with flat bodies and egg cases, found on sea floors worldwide.Shark · Coasts and shelves
WorldSmooth butterfly ray
A diamond-shaped ray with a short tail and no sting.Ray · Coasts and shelves
🇺🇸 United States and 3 morePacific angelshark
A flat-bodied ambush shark of the eastern Pacific coast.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1859
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreWhitespotted bamboo shark
A small, bottom-dwelling carpet shark with purple and pink spots, common in Asian coral reefs.Shark · Coasts and shelves
WorldBlue shark
A slender, deep-blue oceanic shark found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide.Shark · Open ocean
🇦🇺 Australia and 1 moreAustralian spotted mackerel
A large coastal mackerel from northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.Tuna · Coasts and shelves · 1980
🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreEulachon
A small anadromous smelt known for its high fat content and cultural importance in Pacific North America.Other · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreAmerican eel
A catadromous fish that migrates between North American rivers and the Sargasso Sea to spawn.Eel · Rivers and lakes
🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreMutton snapper
A colourful Atlantic reef fish prized for its meat.Perch-like · Coasts and shelves · 1828
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreSpadenose shark
Small coastal shark with a flat snout and advanced placenta.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1838
🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 moreEuropean seabass
A slow-growing temperate bass native to European and African coasts.Perch-like · Coasts and shelves · 1758
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Atlantic halibut: Vsevolod Rudyi, CC BY 4.0, source
- Spotted eagle ray: john norton, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cutthroat trout: Hazzard, Lloyde / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, source
- Giant grouper: Ginkgo100, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Green humphead parrotfish: Rickard Zerpe, CC BY 2.0, source
- Rainbow parrotfish: Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pacific lamprey: Dave Herasimtschuk, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Public domain, source
- Tiger shark: Albert kok, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Inconnu: painter, Public domain, source
- Oncorhynchus: David Menke, Public domain, source
- Skate: valerie mayers, CC BY 2.0, source
- Smooth butterfly ray: Tomas Willems & Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pacific angelshark: Chris_huh, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Whitespotted bamboo shark: yvonne n, CC BY 2.0, source
- Blue shark: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Eulachon: en:User:James Crippen, Public domain, source
- American eel: Ellen Edmonson and Hugh Chrisp, Public domain, source
- Mutton snapper: Dan Schofield, CC BY 4.0, source
- Spadenose shark: Müller & Henle, Public domain, source
- European seabass: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bombay duck: Hamid Badar Osmany (hamid61612002@yahoo.com ), CC BY 3.0, source
- Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel: ppericard, CC BY 4.0, source