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EveryFish

Vulnerable

At high risk in the wild. 56 fish on EveryFish so far.

Vulnerable is the lowest of the three IUCN Red List categories for threatened species. A Vulnerable species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild, judged by measures such as a fall of 30 per cent or more in numbers over ten years or three generations, or a small and shrinking range. Fish listed as Vulnerable include the great white shark, the ocean sunfish, the Atlantic cod and the silver pomfret.

Big, slow and caught

Many Vulnerable fish are large, slow-growing species that are easily overfished, such as the great white and bull sharks, the reef manta ray and the ocean sunfish, which is caught as bycatch in drift nets and longlines. The Atlantic cod was listed in 1996 after the collapse of its north-west Atlantic stocks. The common carp, invasive in many places, is listed as Vulnerable in its native range in the rivers around the Black and Caspian Seas, where wild populations have declined.

Indian fish at risk

The silver pomfret, Maharashtra's state fish, is listed as Vulnerable, with landings falling along India's west coast. The boal, a large river catfish of South Asia, the spotted seahorse and the mrigal carp of the south are also Vulnerable. The Siamese fighting fish is Vulnerable in the wild in Thailand and nearby countries, though it is bred by the millions for the aquarium trade, which shows how a common pet can be a rare wild animal.

Famous vulnerable fish

Great white sharkVulnerable worldwideBull sharkVulnerable since 2021

Still to be written: Ocean sunfish, Atlantic cod, Reef manta ray, Pampus argenteus, Wallago attu, Siamese fighting fish.

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
🇪🇸 Spain and 1 moreCommon dentex Large-toothed seabream of the Atlantic and Mediterranean.Perch-like · Coasts and shelves · 1758 WorldWhitetip reef shark Small Indo-Pacific reef shark with white-tipped finsShark · Coasts and shelves · 1837 WorldMilk shark A small coastal requiem shark found in tropical waters worldwide.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1837 WorldCommon thresher The largest thresher shark, known for its whip-like tail used to stun prey in cool coastal and open waters.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1788 WorldPorbeagle A fast, cold-water mackerel shark found in the Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1788 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreAtlantic sturgeon A large anadromous fish native to the western Atlantic Ocean and its river systems.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreShortnose sturgeon A small, endangered North American sturgeon with a short snout.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1818 WorldGiant oceanic manta ray The world's largest ray, a massive filter-feeding predator of tropical oceans.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1827 🇮🇩 IndonesiaBanggai cardinalfish A small, endangered marine fish from Indonesia known for its unique breeding habits and popularity in the aquarium tradeReef fish · Coasts and shelves WorldSilky shark A fast, migratory requiem shark found in tropical oceans worldwide.Shark · Open ocean · 1839 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreCownose ray A migratory coastal ray with a distinctive head shape.Ray · Coasts and shelves WorldMangrove whipray A spotted stingray of Indo-Pacific mangroves and reefs.Ray · Estuaries and mangroves · 1883 WorldPink whipray Large Indo-Pacific stingray with a long tail and pinkish hue.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1906 Latin America and the CaribbeanMunk's pygmy devil ray Smallest devil ray in the eastern Pacific OceanRay · Coasts and shelves · 1987 EuropeRabbit fish Deep-water cartilaginous fish with a rabbit-like headOther · Coasts and shelves EuropeCommon stingray A venomous ray of Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal waters.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1758 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreMarbled electric ray A benthic electric ray from the eastern Atlantic known for its powerful shocks and mottled brown skin.Ray · Coasts and shelves · 1810 WorldBroadnose sevengill shark A large coastal shark with seven gill slits and spotted skin.Shark · Coasts and shelves WorldSpinner shark A fast requiem shark known for spinning leaps out of water.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1839 WorldPigeye shark A robust coastal requiem shark often confused with the bull shark.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1839 WorldKitefin shark A deep-sea squaliform shark known for its bioluminescence and large oil-filled liver.Shark · Deep sea · 1788 WorldSpiny dogfish A temperate shark with dorsal spines and a long lifespan, heavily fished for food.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1758 WorldBigeye thresher Deep-diving shark with huge eyes and a long tail.Shark · Open ocean · 1840 WorldSmooth hammerhead Temperate hammerhead shark with a curved head marginShark · Coasts and shelves · 1758 WorldBlacktip reef shark Small coral reef shark with distinct black fin tipsShark · Coasts and shelves · 1824 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreNurse shark A bottom-dwelling shark found in tropical coastal waters of the Atlantic and Pacific.Shark · Coasts and shelves WorldBlacktip shark A coastal requiem shark known for spinning leaps and black-tipped fins.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1839 WorldLemon shark A social, yellow-skinned requiem shark of shallow tropical waters.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1868 WorldTawny nurse shark A large Indo-Pacific carpet shark known for octopus hunting and spitting water.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1831 WorldDusky grouper Large reef-dwelling fish found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.Perch-like · Coasts and shelves · 1834

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

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