As of July 2017, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed 1,000 critically endangered fish species, including 87 which are tagged as possibly extinct. [1] [2] Of all evaluated fish species, 3.0% are listed as critically endangered. The IUCN also lists four fish subspecies as critically endangered.
Of the subpopulations of fish evaluated by the IUCN, 20 species subpopulations and one subspecies subpopulation have been assessed as critically endangered.
Additionally 3191 fish species (21% of those evaluated) are listed as data deficient, meaning there is insufficient information for a full assessment of conservation status. As these species typically have small distributions and/or populations, they are intrinsically likely to be threatened, according to the IUCN. [3] While the category data deficient indicates that no assessment of extinction risk has been made for the taxa, the IUCN notes that it may be appropriate to give them "the same degree of attention as threatened taxa, at least until their status can be assessed". [4]
This is a complete list of critically endangered fish species and subspecies evaluated by the IUCN. Species considered possibly extinct by the IUCN are marked as such. Species and subspecies which have critically endangered subpopulations (or stocks) are indicated.
Cartilaginous fishes include sharks, rays, skates, and shovelnose rays. The majority of the order Rhinopristiformes, which includes sawfish, guitarfish, wedgefish, and other shovelnose rays, is considered critically endangered, with 28 of its 64 evaluated species considered critically endangered by the IUCN. [5]
Subpopulations
There are 431 species, four subspecies, four subpopulations of species, and one subpopulations of subspecies of ray-finned fish assessed as critically endangered.
Acipenseriformes includes sturgeons and paddlefishes. There are 19 species and eight subpopulations in the order Acipenseriformes assessed as critically endangered.
Species
Subpopulations
Species
Subpopulations of species
Subpopulations of subspecies
Species
Subspecies
Cypriniformes includes carps, minnows, loaches and relatives. There are 145 species, one subspecies, and one subpopulation in the order Cypriniformes assessed as critically endangered.
Species
Subspecies
Subpopulations
Includes freshwater smelts and allies.
There are 144 species, one subspecies, and one subpopulation in the order Perciformes assessed as critically endangered.
Species
Subspecies
Species
Subpopulations
Angelsharks are sharks belonging to the genus Squatina. They are the only living members of the family Squatinidae and order Squatiniformes. They commonly inhabit sandy seabeds close to 150 m (490 ft) in depth.
Threatened fauna of Australia are those species and subspecies of birds, fish, frogs, insects, mammals, molluscs, crustaceans, and reptiles to be found in Australia that are in danger of becoming extinct. This article lists species classified as threatened species under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
The sawback angelshark is an angelshark of the family Squatinidae It is one of rarest species of sharks known to date, and one of the three species of angelsharks that inhabits the Mediterranean. The Sawback angelshark lives in sandy and muddy bottoms of the ocean at depths of 30-500m.
The Japanese angelshark is a species of angelshark, family Squatinidae, found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean off China, Japan, and Korea. It is a bottom-dwelling shark found in sandy habitats down to 300 m (980 ft) deep. This species has the flattened shape with wing-like pectoral and pelvic fins typical of its family, and grows to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) or more in length. Its two dorsal fins are placed behind the pelvic fins, and a row of large thorns occurs along its dorsal midline. Its upper surface is cryptically patterned, with numerous squarish dark spots on a brown background.
Squatina squatina, the angelshark or monkfish, is a species of shark in the family Squatinidae, that were once widespread in the coastal waters of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Well-adapted for camouflaging itself on the sea floor, the angelshark has a flattened form with enlarged pectoral and pelvic fins, giving it a superficial resemblance to a ray. This species can be identified by its broad and stout body, conical barbels, thornless back, and grayish or brownish dorsal coloration with a pattern of numerous small light and dark markings. It measures up to 2.4 m (7.9 ft) long.
The giant guitarfish, also known as the whitespotted wedgefish, is a large species of guitarfish in the family Rhinidae. It is restricted to the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and western Indian Ocean, but was formerly considered more widespread due to confusion with its relatives.
Rhynchobatus australiae, also called the white-spotted guitarfish, white-spotted wedgefish or bottlenose wedgefish, is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family. It is found from shallow waters to a depth of at least 60 m (200 ft) in the Indo-Pacific, ranging from the East African coast and the Red Sea, to Taiwan, the Philippines and Australia. It is part of a species complex that also includes the giant guitarfish, the broadnose wedgefish and possibly the smoothnose wedgefish.
Rhynchobatus is a group of rays commonly known as wedgefishes in the family Rhinidae. They are found in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific with a single species in the eastern Atlantic. All species in this genus are assessed as Vulnerable or Endangered by IUCN.
The African wedgefish, guitarra, Lubbert's guitarfish, or spikenose wedgefish is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family. It is the only species in its genus to occur in the East Atlantic.
As of 19 August 2018, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has identified 3,005 critically endangered species, subspecies, stocks and subpopulations in the Animalia kingdom.
Wedgefishes are rays of the family Rhinidae, comprising eleven species in three genera. Classified in the order Rhinopristiformes along with guitarfishes and sawfishes, they have also been known as giant guitarfishes or sharkfin guitarfishes.