Examples of fish that are endangered include angel shark, Atlantic bluefin tuna, Atlantic goliath grouper, Atlantic halibut, and beluga sturgeon.
Just like other animals, fish populations can decline for a variety of reasons, including habitat loss, overfishing, and pollution. As a result, many species of fish are now facing extinction. Endangered fish include well-known species such as bluefin tuna and sturgeon.
This blog post highlights some of the most endangered fish species and their habitats.
Examples of Fish that Are Endangered
1. Angelshark
| Scientific Name | Squatina squatina |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | coastal and outer continental shelf sediment habitats in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic |
The angelshark is a species of shark that is found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. This species is Critically Endangered, with only an estimated 400-500 individuals remaining in the wild. The biggest threat to angelsharks is bycatch, which is when they are accidentally caught by fishermen while targeting other species.
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2. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
| Scientific Name | Thunnus thynnus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean and associated seas, such as the Mediterranean Sea |
The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a large, migratory fish that inhabits the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is prized for its flesh, which is used in sushi and sashimi. The bluefin tuna population has declined sharply in recent years due to overfishing. In 2011, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified the Atlantic bluefin tuna as endangered.
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3. Atlantic Goliath Grouper
| Scientific Name | Epinephelus itajara |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | shallow tropical waters among coral and artificial reefs |
The Atlantic goliath grouper is a large fish found in the western Atlantic Ocean. It can grow to over 8 feet long and weigh up to 800 pounds. This species is endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss.
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4. Atlantic Halibut
| Scientific Name | Hippoglossus hippoglossus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | all around the North Atlantic |
The Atlantic halibut is a large, flatfish that lives in the waters off the coast of North America. It is one of the most endangered fish species in the world, due largely to overfishing. Although commercial fishing for halibut has been banned in Canada since 1996, the population has not yet recovered.
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5. Beluga Sturgeon
| Scientific Name | Huso huso |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Ponto-Caspian Sea |
The beluga sturgeon is a large, anadromous fish that spends most of its life in the Caspian and Black Seas. It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Overfishing and pollution are the main threats to this species.
6. Bignose Fanskate
| Scientific Name | Sympterygia acuta |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay |
The bignose fanskate is a small, dark-colored skate found in the western Atlantic Ocean. It gets its name from its large nose, which is used to dig through the sand for food. Bignose fanskates are found at depths of up to 660 feet (200 meters).
7. Borneo Shark
| Scientific Name | Carcharhinus borneensis |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | inshore waters around Mukah in northwestern Borneo |
The Borneo Shark is a species of requiem shark that is found in the waters around Indonesia and Malaysia. This shark is critically endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss. The Borneo Shark is often caught as bycatch in fishing nets and its fins are prized for use in soup.
8. Calico Grouper
| Scientific Name | Epinephelus drummondhayi |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Bermuda and off the eastern coast of North America |
The calico grouper is an endangered species of fish that is found in the waters off the coast of Florida. The calico grouper is a popular target for fishermen, and its population has declined sharply as a result. The calico grouper is also threatened by habitat loss and pollution.
9. Chinese Sturgeon
| Scientific Name | Acipenser sinensis |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | the freshwater Yangtze River as well as marine waters off the coast of China |
The Chinese sturgeon is a species of fish that is native to China. It is critically endangered due to overfishing and pollution. The Chinese sturgeon can grow up to 23 feet long and weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
10. Colares Stingray
| Scientific Name | Dasyatis colarensis |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | the shallow brackish waters of the Amazon River estuary in northern Brazil |
The Colares stingray is found in the Amazon River basin. It is a large species of freshwater stingray, with a disc width of up to 2.2 meters (7 feet). The Colares stingray is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
11. Common Blue Skate
| Scientific Name | Dipturus batis |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea |
The Common Blue Skate is a cartilaginous fish that was once found in great numbers in the North Atlantic Ocean. However, overfishing has led to a dramatic decline in its population, and it is now considered to be critically endangered.
12. European Eel
| Scientific Name | Anguilla anguilla |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | from the northern reaches of Russia and Finland all the way down to the coasts of Morocco, Egypt, and even within the Black Sea |
The European eel is a species of eel that is found in freshwater habitats across Europe. This species has declined in recent years, and it is now listed as critically endangered.
13. Flapper Skate
| Scientific Name | Dipturus batis |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | the northern North Sea and off Scotland’s north-west coast |
The flapper skate is a large species of ray that is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List due to overfishing and Habitat loss.
14. Ganges Shark
| Scientific Name | Glyphis gangeticus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | rivers in India and Bangladesh – particularly the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Hooghly rivers |
The Ganges shark is a large, predatory shark found in the coastal waters of the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the most endangered sharks in the world, with a population that has declined by 98% over the last century. The main threats to this species are overfishing and habitat loss.
15. Great Hammerhead
| Scientific Name | Sphyrna mokarran |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | coastal warm temperate and tropical waters within 40°N – 35°S latitude |
The great hammerhead is a large species of shark that can be found in tropical and temperate waters around the world. This species is particularly vulnerable to overfishing due to its slow reproductive rate.
16. Hidden Angelshark
| Scientific Name | Squatina guggenheim |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | off the Atlantic coast of South America, from Brazil to Argentina |
One of the rarest sharks in the world, the Angelshark was once widespread in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. However, due to overfishing, this species is now critically endangered. The Angelshark spends most of its time buried in the sand, making it vulnerable to being caught by fishermen who are targeting other shark species.
17. Japanese Angelshark
| Scientific Name | Squatina japonica |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | the northwestern Pacific Ocean off China, Japan, and Korea |
The Japanese angelshark is a species of sharks that live in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. They are found near Japan, Korea, and China. This species is critically endangered due to overfishing and environmental issues.
18. Killarney Shad
| Scientific Name | Alosa killarnensis |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Lough Leane in County Kerry |
The Killarney shad is a species of freshwater fish that is found in Ireland. It is currently listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. The main threat to the Killarney shad is habitat loss due to the construction of dams and other water infrastructure projects.
19. Longnose Skate
| Scientific Name | Raja binoculata |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Navarin Canyon in the Bering Sea and Unalaska Island, Alaska to Cedros Island, Baja California, Mexico |
This skate is found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to New Jersey. It is a slow-moving bottom dweller that feeds on small fish and invertebrates. Longnose skate populations have declined due to overfishing and habitat loss.
20. Lost Shark
| Scientific Name | Carcharhinus obsolerus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | off the coast of South Africa |
The lost shark is a species of requiem shark that was only discovered in 2004. It is one of the most endangered sharks in the world, with an estimated population of only 20-30 individuals. The lost shark is found in the Western Indian Ocean, off the coast of Kenya and Mozambique.
21. Menni’s Skate
| Scientific Name | Atlantoraja castelnaui |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | most parts of the world, from tropical to near-Arctic waters |
Menni’s skate is a species of fish that is found in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The fish gets its name from the Menni people, who are an indigenous group in Argentina. The fish is critically endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss. In addition, the fish is also threatened by pollution and climate change.
22. Nassau Grouper
| Scientific Name | Epinephelus striatus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | tropical and subtropical waters of the western North Atlantic |
The Nassau grouper is a large reef fish that can be found in the Atlantic Ocean. This species is particularly vulnerable to overfishing because they spawning aggregations. This means that they congregate in certain areas to mate, which makes them easy targets for fishermen.
23. Orange Roughy
| Scientific Name | Hoplostethus atlanticus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | on deep seamounts (undersea mountains) in most ocean basins around the world |
The orange roughy is a type of fish that is found in deep-water reefs. They are slow-growing and long-lived, which makes them especially vulnerable to overfishing. As a result of years of overfishing, orange roughy populations have declined by 90%.
24. Pakistan Whipray
| Scientific Name | Maculabatis arabica |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | in the Indian Ocean: around Pakistan and India, and also found in the Arabian Sea |
The Pakistan whipray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It is endemic to freshwater habitats in Pakistan. This species is critically endangered due to habitat loss and overfishing. The Pakistan whipray is found in the Indus River system.
25. Pondicherry Shark
| Scientific Name | Carcharhinus hemiodon |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | Sri Lankan Menik and Kumbukkam rivers |
The Pondicherry shark is a small, little-known species of requiem shark that is found in the waters off southeastern India. This species is critically endangered, with an estimated population of less then 20 individuals remaining in the wild. The main threats to the Pondicherry shark are bycatch and habitat loss.
26. Red Handfish
| Scientific Name | Brachionichthys hirsutus |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | south-eastern Tasmania |
The red handfish is an endangered species of fish that is found in the southern waters off Tasmania and mainland Australia. This species is unique in that it uses its hands to “walk” along the seafloor. Red handfish are found in areas with soft sediment and sponges, which they use for camouflage.
27. Sawback Angelshark
| Scientific Name | Squatina aculeata |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | the continental shelf and upper slope sediment habitats in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic |
The sawback angelshark is a species of shark that is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. It is a bottom-dwelling Shark and prefers to live in sandy or muddy areas. This species is critically endangered due to overfishing.
28. Scalloped Bonnethead
| Scientific Name | Sphyrna corona |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range |
The Scalloped Bonnethead is a species of hammerhead shark that is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. This species is currently classified as endangered by the IUCN. The Scalloped Bonnethead is threatened by overfishing and bycatch. Bonnetheads are often caught as bycatch in shrimp trawls and gillnets.
29. Scalloped Hammerhead
| Scientific Name | Sphyrna lewini |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | South Africa, the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Japan, Hawaii, Australia, and Tahiti |
Scalloped hammerhead sharks are one of the most endangered shark species. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world, but their numbers have declined sharply in recent years. The primary threats to scalloped hammerheads are overfishing and bycatch (accidental catches of non-targeted species).
30. Scoophead
| Scientific Name | Sphyrnidae |
| Type of Animal | Fish |
| Range | the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, from Panama to southern Brazil, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California to Ecuador, and probably northern Peru, as well |
The scoophead is a small fish that is found in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It is listed as endangered due to its limited range and decline in population. The scoophead is threatened by habitat loss and degradation, as well as by fishing pressure.
More Examples of Fish that Are Endangered
- Smalleye Hammerhead
- Smalltooth Stingray
- Smooth Stingray
- Smooth back Angelshark
- Southern Bluefin Tuna
- Spring Pygmy Sunfish
- Tope
- Wingfin Stingray
- Winter Skate
Conclusion
Some fish populations are in danger of extinction due to overfishing, pollution, and other environmental factors. Conservation efforts are underway to protect these fish, but it is important to remember that all fish populations are interconnected. The loss of one species can have ripple effects throughout the ecosystem.
Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.