Top 10 Most Endangered Fish Species That You Need to Know

We can learn about everything to know there is about fish species all around the world. We say that plenty of fish species can be found in the sea but their numbers have been decreasing as the world progress. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is said that there are about 1,414 fish species endangered. These are also the number of those rare species that can go extinct soon if the world doesn’t do anything about it.

In the list below, we are going to write about the top 10 most endangered fish species in the world in 2015.

 

10. Atlantic Halibut

This 9 feet and a 1000 pound giant is found in the North Atlantic Ocean and is the largest of the flat fish species. This Halibut can live up to 50 years. It is the victim of over-fishing in the region and the IUCN has classified it as endangered for it is decreasing very rapidly in the world.

9. Beluga Sturgeon

The Beluga Sturgeon is found in and near the waters of the Caspian Sea. This ancient fish can grow 15 feet in length and weighs over a ton. This fish, like the halibut, is targeted by over-fishing and gill nets contribute the most in this problem. This fish can live up to 100 years longer and it is suffering from habitat loss and forcing it to be named endangered by the IUCN.

8. Acadian Redfish

The Acadian Redfish can be found in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. This fish grows about 20 inches in length and can live as long as 50 years. This overfished species is slow-growing and therefore it is named endangered. Over-fishing like that from trawling has reduced the numbers of this fish. This violates the environmental laws set by the IUCN and is therefore endangered. This beautiful Redfish is currently one of the top 10 endangered fish species in the world in 2015.

7. Orange Roughy

This fish has habitats all around the world that includes the coasts of New Zealand, Australia, Namibia and the northeast Atlantic Ocean. It can live up to a 149 years and the pressure of overfishing has halted the breeding of this roughy. The resulting catches by the fishermen has wiped out massive numbers of the roughly making it the 7th most endangered species in the world by IUCN.

6. Winter Skate

Most Winter Skates are found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada to North Carolina in the United States. The winter skate is now harvested and processed into fishmeal and lobster bait, and is even marketed for human consumption. Increased over-fishing is reducing the numbers of the winter skate and has been classified as endangered in the world

5. Bocaccio Rockfish

Bocaccio Rockfish is currently in the middle of the list of top 10 most endangered fish species in the world this year. There are more than 70 other species of rockfish but the Bacaccio Rockfish is the most endangered. This 3-foot fish reaches reproductive age sooner than many overfished species. It is also known as salmon grouper, grouper and slimy. This fish is critically endangered due to the over-fishing of this certain species and is the 5th most endangered species of the planet

4. European Eel

The European Eel is found primarily in the North Atlantic, the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas. The European Eel can grow to a length of 4.5 and can age up to 50 years. The European eel is a critically endangered species. Since the 1970s, the numbers of eels reaching Europe is thought to have declined by around 90%. Contributing factors include overfishing, parasites such as Anguillicola crassus. This is known the 4th most endangered species in the world.

3. Goliath Grouper

Two types of goliath grouper are known as the Atlantic Goliath Grouper and the Pacific Goliath Grouper. All species of groupers are endangered but this is critically endangered. This is also known as the jewfish. It lives in the subtropical areas of the eastern Pacific (from Baja California to Peru) and the Atlantic (from North Carolina to Brazil). It is a very large fish growing to a 7 feet length and can live up to 40 years. Overfishing of the Goliath grouper is the main issue for it to be endangered. This fish is targeted by the line hooks of fishermen and is rated by the IUCN as endangered.

2. Maltese Ray

Maltese Ray (or skate) is found in the Mediterranean Sea along the coast of Italy as well as Algeria and Malta. It grows very slowly and matures late. Commercial fishing vessels rarely target the Maltese ray. The decreasing population of this species has earned it the title of being critically endangered by the IUCN and comes in the 2nd most endangered fish species in the world.

1. Bluefin Tuna

There are many bluefin Tuna in the world but the Atlantic bluefin Tuna is at the number 1 spot in the list of top 10 most endangered fish species in the world in 2015. The Atlantic bluefin Tuna is found in both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, and also in the Mediterranean Sea. This tuna is considered one of the fastest fish and grow up to 10 feet and weighs more than 1,400 pounds. This fish is very rare and is about $100,000 per fish. The reduced number of the bluefin tuna has been due to the extensive over-fishing.