List of endangered fishes

In September 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed 643 endangered fish species.^[1] Of all evaluated fish species, 4.2% are listed as endangered. The IUCN also lists ten fish subspecies as endangered.

Extinct in the wild (EW): 11 species
Critically endangered (CR): 906 species
Endangered (EN): 1,533 species
Vulnerable (VU): 1,740 species
Near threatened (NT, LR/cd): 1,042 species
Least concern (LC): 18,621 species
Data deficient (DD): 5,492 species

Fish species (IUCN, 2025-2)

29,447 extant species have been evaluated
23,955 of those are fully assessed^[a]
19,663 are not threatened at present^[b]
4,292 to 9,784 are threatened^[c]
113 to 268 are extinct or extinct in the wild:
- 102 extinct (EX) species^[d]
- 11 extinct in the wild (EW)
- 147 possibly extinct [CR(PE)]
- 8 possibly extinct in the wild [CR(PEW)]

[a]
excludes data deficient evaluations.
[b]
NT, LR/cd, LC.
[c]
Threatened comprises CR, EN and VU. Upper estimate additionally includes DD.
[d]
Chart omits extinct (EX) species

Of the subpopulations of fishes evaluated by the IUCN, 24 species subpopulations have been assessed as endangered.

For a species to be considered endangered by the IUCN it must meet certain quantitative criteria which are designed to classify taxa facing "a very high risk of extinction". An even higher risk is faced by critically endangered species, which meet the quantitative criteria for endangered species. Critically endangered fishes are listed separately. There are 1098 fish species which are endangered or 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.^[2] While the category of 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".^[3]

This is a complete list of endangered fish species and subspecies evaluated by the IUCN. Species and subspecies which have endangered subpopulations (or stocks) are indicated.

[1] [a]
excludes data deficient evaluations.

[2] [b]
NT, LR/cd, LC.

[3] [c]
Threatened comprises CR, EN and VU. Upper estimate additionally includes DD.

[4] [d]
Chart omits extinct (EX) species

[1]

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[2]

[3]

Prickly sharks

Carpet sharks

Ground sharks

Mackerel sharks

Dogfishes

Angel sharks

Skates

Rays

Sawfish and guitarfish

Torpedo rays

Rays and skates

Squaliformes

Salmoniformes

Silversides

Toothcarps

Pupfish

Nothobranchiids

Poeciliids

Other toothcarp species

Cypriniformes

Ellopostomatids

Hillstream loaches

True loaches

Cyprinids

Psilorhynchids

Suckers

Osmeriformes

Catfishes

Perciformes

Cichlids

Percids

Epinephelids

Gobies

Other Perciformes

Osteoglossiformes

Characiformes

Tetraodontiformes

Other ray-finned fishes

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