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SpeciesScientists 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-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliamentSpeciesScientists 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-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliament
EveryFish

Near threatened

Close to qualifying as threatened. 71 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

Pacific bluefin tunaNear Threatened since 2021Atlantic salmonMoved to Near Threatened in 2023Tiger sharkHeavily caught in many seasBlue sharkCaught in very large numbers on longlinesBombay duckAssessed Near Threatened in 2019Narrow-barred Spanish mackerelThe seer fishIndian featherbackChital of Bengal's riversAtlantic halibutSlow to recover from overfishing

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
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 4 moreButter catfish Asian sheatfish valued for delicate flesh and fish balls.Catfish · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesCutthroat trout A group of Pacific trout native to western North America, known for red throat markings.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes · 1793 🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreGolden dorado A large predatory freshwater fish native to South America known for its golden colour.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesShovelnose sturgeon Smallest North American freshwater sturgeon, known for its shovel-shaped snout and caviar production.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1820 🇺🇸 United StatesGuadalupe bass A rare Texas endemic black bass prized by anglers for its fighting spirit.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSauger A freshwater perch species native to North American rivers.Perch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1834 🇧🇷 Brazil and 3 moreTambaqui A large freshwater fish from South America known for its heavy body and seed-eating habits.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇦 Canada and 1 moreBigmouth buffalo A long-lived North American freshwater fish known for its terminal mouth and exceptional lifespan.Catfish · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesAmerican paddlefish Ancient freshwater fish with a sensory snout and filter-feeding habits.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1792 🇷🇺 Russia and 1 moreBaikal black grayling A Siberian freshwater salmonid found in Lake Baikal and surrounding river systems.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 morePacific lamprey An anadromous parasitic jawless fish found along the Pacific Rim.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1872 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 4 moreWels catfish A large freshwater catfish native to Europe and Western Asia, known for its size and bottom-feeding habits.Catfish · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇧🇷 Brazil and 3 moreSpotted sorubim A large South American catfish known for its spotted pattern and commercial value.Catfish · Rivers and lakes · 1829 Sub-Saharan AfricaVictoria tilapia A cichlid native to Lake Victoria with unique colour patterns.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 ChinaPrzewalskii's naked carp Endemic cyprinid of China's Qinghai Lake basinCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇷🇺 RussiaInconnu A large anadromous whitefish native to the Caspian Sea basin.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇲🇰 North Macedonia and 1 moreOhrid trout An endemic trout species found in Lake Ohrid and the Black Drin river.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreOncorhynchus A genus of migratory fish native to the North Pacific basin.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇹 Austria and 4 moreHuchen A large freshwater salmonid native to the Danube basin in Central and Eastern Europe.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreGrayling A cold-water salmonid fish native to European rivers, prized by anglers for its distinctive dorsal fin.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 3 morePacific angelshark A flat-bodied ambush shark of the eastern Pacific coast.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1859 🇿🇦 South AfricaClanwilliam yellowfish A golden-hued river fish from South Africa's Cederberg.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇿🇦 South Africa and 2 moreLargemouth yellowfish Large freshwater barb from southern African rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 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 🇧🇮 Burundi and 3 moreNingu A freshwater carp found in Lake Victoria and its tributaries.Carp · Rivers and lakes WorldTorinae A subfamily of large freshwater carps known as mahseers, found across Asia and Africa.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 moreEuropean seabass A slow-growing temperate bass native to European and African coasts.Perch-like · Coasts and shelves · 1758 Long Whiskers Catfish 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreLong Whiskers Catfish A brackish water catfish with long barbels found in South and Southeast Asia.Catfish · Estuaries and mangroves 🇦🇺 AustraliaMurray cod Large Australian freshwater predator of the Murray-Darling basinPerch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1838 🇦🇺 AustraliaSouthern saratoga A primitive freshwater fish native to Queensland rivers.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 4 moreMottled eel Tropical freshwater eel found in Africa and AsiaEel · Rivers and lakes · 1844 🇧🇯 Benin and 2 moreReedfish A lung-breathing, snake-like fish from West Africa.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇿🇲 Zambia and 4 moreKapenta Small freshwater sardines from Lake Tanganyika, vital for food and economy in southern Africa.Herring · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreSilver carp A filter-feeding freshwater fish native to Asia, now invasive in North America.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1844

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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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