Project inScience

By:

Mary Melanie M. Aranas, Maureen

Delicano & Josephine Rose R. Giango

EXTINCT, ENDANGERED & THREATEN

FISHES

EXTINCT FISHES

1. The Blackfin Cisco

A "salmonid" fish, and hence closely

related to salmon and trout, the Blackfin

Cisco was one plentiful in the Great

Lakes, but recently succumbed to a

combination of overfishing and predation by not

one, but three, invasive species (the Alewife, the

Rainbow Smelt, and a genus of sea lamprey). The Blackfin Cisco

didn't disappear from the Great Lakes all at once: the last

attested Lake Huron sighing was in 1960, the last Lake Michigan

sighting in 1969, and the last known sighting of all (near Thunder

Bay, Ontario) in 2006.

2. The Blue Walleye

Also known as the Blue Pike, the Blue

Walleye was fished out of the

Great Lakes by the bucketload from the

late 19th century to the middle 20th--

the last known specimen being sighted in

the early 1980's. It wasn't only overfishing that led to the Blue

Walleye's demise; we can also blame the introduction of an

invasive species, the Rainbow Smelt, and industrial pollution

from surrounding factories. Many people claim to have caught

Blue Walleyes, but experts believe these were actually blue-

tinged Yellow Walleyes, which are still extant.

3. The Galapagos Damsel

The Galapagos Islands are where Charles

Darwin laid much of the groundwork for

the theory of evolution--and today, this

distant archipelago harbors some of the

world's most endangered species. The

Galapagos Damsel didn't fall victim to human interference: rather,

this plankton-eating fish never recovered from a temporary

increase in local water temperatures (caused by the El

Niño currents of the early 1980's) that drastically reduced

plankton populations. Some experts harbor the hope that

remnants of this fish persist off the coast of Peru.

4. The Gravenche

You might think that Lake Geneva, on the

border of Switzerland and

France, would enjoy more ecological

protection than the Great Lakes of

the capitalist-minded U.S. This is, in fact,

largely the case, but these regulations came too late for the

Gravenche, a foot-long salmon relative that was overfished in

the late 19th century, had virtually disappeared by the early

1920's, and was last seen in 1950. Adding insult to injury, there

are apparently no Gravenche specimens (either on display or in

storage) in any of the world's natural history museums!

5. The Harelip Sucker

Considering how colorful (not to mention

insulting) its name is,

surprisingly little is known about the

Harelip Sucker, which was last seen

in the late 19th century. The first specimen

of this seven-inch-long fish, native to the rushing freshwater

streams of the southeastern U.S., was caught in 1859, and only

described nearly 20 years later. By then, the Harelip Sucker was

already nearly extinct, doomed by the relentless infusion of silt

into its otherwise pristine ecosystem. Did it have a harelip, and

did it suck? You'll have to visit a museum to find out!

6. The Lake Titicaca Orestias

If fish can go extinct in the vast Great

Lakes, it should come as no surprise that

they can also disappear from Lake Titicaca

in South America, which is an order of

magnitude smaller. Also known as the Amanto, the Lake Titicaca

Orestias was a small, unprepossessing fish with an unusually large

head and a distinctive underbite, doomed in the mid-20th century

by the introduction into Lake Titicaca of various species of trout.  If

you want to see this fish today, you'll have to travel all the way to

the National Museum of Natural History in the Netherlands, where

there are two preserved specimens.

7. The Silver Trout

Of all the fish on this list, you might

assume the Silver Trout fell victim to

human overconsumption; after all, who

doesn't like trout for dinner? In fact,

this fish was extremely rare even when

it was first discovered; the only known specimens were native to

three small lakes in New Hampshire, and were likely the remnants

of a larger population that was dragged northward by retreating

glaciers thousands of years ago. Never common to begin with, the

Silver Trout was doomed by the stocking of recreational fish, and

the last attested individuals were dredged up in 1930.

8. The Tecopa Pupfish

Not only exotic bacteria thrive in

conditions that humans would find

hostile to life: witness the late, lamented Tacopa

Pupfish, which swam in the hot springs of

California's Mojave Desert (average

water temperature: about 110 degrees Fahrenheit). The Pupfish

could survive harsh environmental conditions, but it couldn't

survive human encroachment: a health fad in the 1950's and

1960's led to the construction of bathhouses in the hot springs'

vicinity, and the springs themselves were artificially enlarged and

diverted. The last Tecopa Pupfish was caught in early 1970, and

there have been no confirmed sightings since.

9. The Thicktail Chub

Compared to the Great Lakes or Lake Titicaca,

the Thicktail Chub lived in a relatively

unappealing habitat: the marshes, lowlands,

and weed-choked backwaters of California's

Central Valley. As recently as 1900, the small,

minnow-sized Thicktail Chub was one of the most common fish in

the Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay, and it helped to

nourish central California's Native American population. Sadly, this

fish was doomed both by overfishing (to service the burgeoning

population of San Francisco) and the conversion of its habitat for

agriculture; the last attested sighting was in the late 1950's.

10. The Yellowfin Cutthroat Trout

The Yellowfin Cutthroat Trout sounds like a

legend straight out of the American

West: a 10-pound trout, sporting bright

yellow fins, that had been spotted in the

Twin Lakes of Colorado during the late

19th century. As it turns out, the Yellowfin wasn't the hallucination

of some inebriated cowboy, but an actual trout subspecies that was

described by a pair of academics in the 1891 Bulletin of the United

States Fish Commission. Unfortunately, the Yellowfin Cutthroat

Trout was doomed by the introduction of the more fecund Rainbow

Trout in the early 20th century; it's survived by its close relative,

the smaller Greenback Cutthroat Trout.

ENDANGERED FISHES

1. Atlantic Halibut

Found in the North Atlantic Ocean, the

Atlantic halibut is the largest of the flat fish

species. Boasting a 50-year lifespan, it can

reach a length of 9 feet and weigh up

to 1,000 pounds. But because this slow-growing

fish does not become sexually mature until it's 10 to 14 years old,

it's particularly susceptible to overfishing. While Atlantic halibut

are normally caught with hooks-and-lines, they're often caught as

bycatch in bottom trawl fisheries. The IUCN classifies them as

endangered, and their numbers are not expected recover in the

near future. This has prompted the United States to ban Atlantic

halibut fishing in its coastal waters.

2. Beluga Sturgeon

While the beluga sturgeon is popular for its

fillets, its eggs, known as "true caviar," are

regarded as a delicacy. Native to the Caspian

Sea, these ancient fish can grow to 15 feet in

length, weigh more than a ton and live to be 100 years

old. Due to the popularity of their eggs, they're heavily overfished --

typically with gill nets. This particularly problematic because this species

that doesn't reach sexual maturity until 20 or 25 years of age. In addition

to fishing pressures, beluga sturgeon suffer from habitat reduction,

having lost 90 percent of their historic spawning grounds over the past

several decades. Because of these pressures, the IUCN classified the

beluga sturgeon as endangered, and the population is expected to

continue its decline.

3. Acadian Redfish

This species of North Atlantic fish grows

to about 20 inches in length and can

live as long as 50 years. Like other overfished

species, the Acadian redfish is slow-

growing and reaches reproductive age

late -- at about eight or nine years old. Intensive trawling over

the last 10 years has led to the smallest yields since commercial

fishing of the species commenced in the 1930s. Worse, the

Acadian redfish has been subject to pirate fishing, or fishing done

in violation of environmental law. For these reasons, the IUCN

lists the species as endangered.

4. Orange Roughy

Also known as the "slimehead," the orange

roughy has a wide-ranging habitat

that includes the coasts of New Zealand,

Australia, Namibia and the northeast

Atlantic Ocean. Its life expectancy is up to 149

years, and it reaches sexual maturation age between 20 and 32 years,

making it the epitome of a species inherently vulnerable to

overfishing. The pressure of overfishing is amplified by fishermen's

tendency to trawl for orange roughy when the fish congregate to feed

and breed. The resulting catches wipe out generations. Though the

IUCN hasn't reviewed this species to determine if it is endangered, a

number of other organizations have recognized the significant decline

in its numbers after only 25 years of commercial harvesting.

5. Winter Skate

The winter skate is a fascinating species known

to deter predators and stun prey with a

quick jolt of electricity. Most are found in

the northwest Atlantic Ocean, from the Gulf of St.

Lawrence in Canada to North Carolina in the United

States. Once thought to be a "trash fish," the winter skate is now harvested

and processed into fishmeal and lobster bait, and is even marketed for

human consumption. Increased trawling for the species has resulted in the

accidental capture of juveniles, which are easily mistaken for smaller, more

abundant species. This has led to a staggering population decline among

winter skate, which are slow to reach sexual maturity and have few

offspring. Experts blame these factors for a 90 percent reduction in mature

individuals since the 1970s. This devastating decline has earned the winter

skate a critically endangered rating from the IUCN.

6. Bocaccio Rockfish

Of the more than 70 species of rockfish living

off the United States' west coast, the bocaccio

rockfish is one of the most endangered. While

this 3-foot fish reaches reproductive age sooner

than many overfished species -- as early as four to

five years -- its larvae have a very low survival rate. Changes in ocean

currents and temperature since the 1970s mean that large numbers of

bocaccio larvae live to become juveniles only once every 20 years. In

response to their dwindling numbers, the United States closed several

fisheries along the West Coast in 2002. But even without trawling in

these areas, scientists believe it could take 100 years for bocaccio

populations to recover. With such significant challenges to recovery,

the IUCN has listed the species as critically endangered.

7. European Eel

Found primarily in the North Atlantic and the

Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, European eel face

a unique set of survival challenges. They have a

fascinating development cycle, which begins with

their birth out at sea and continues in freshwater streams

thousands of miles inland, where they can grow to a length of 4.5. When

they reach sexual maturity, at anywhere from 6 to 30 years of age, they

return to the sea to spawn. If their route to the sea is blocked, they

return to freshwater and can live for 50 years. But if they make it back to

salt water and reproduce, they die. Because of this unusual life cycle,

any eel that is caught at sea is a juvenile that has not yet had a chance

to spawn. This has resulted in catastrophic overfishing of the European

eel, and a critically endangered rating from IUCN.

8. Goliath Grouper

All species of grouper are endangered to some

extent, but the Goliath Grouper is

particularly threatened. 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). As the name suggests, it's a very

large fish, growing to 7 feet in length in its 40-year life span. Overfishing

of the Goliath grouper is a result of two main issues. First, it reproduces

for only a short period of time, resulting in relatively few offspring

compared to other species. Second, juveniles often become accidental

bycatch in other fishing operations. What fish remain are targeted during

spawning by hook-and-line fishing boats. Out of concern for the Goliath

grouper's survival, the United States banned harvest of the species, and

the IUCN rated them as critically endangered.

9. Maltese Ray

Historically, the Maltese ray populated the

Mediterranean Sea in the coastal waters of Italy,

Algeria, Malta and Tunisia. Today, its range is

limited to the heavily-fished Strait of Sicily, a

90-mile-wide channel between Italy and Tunisia. Though little is

known about this particular species, it likely displays characteristics

similar to other rays: It grows slowly, matures late and produces few

offspring. Commercial fishing vessels rarely target the Maltese ray.

Rather, it is taken as bycatch in boats harvesting other species. Once

they're caught, these unwanted fish are thrown back into the water, dead

or dying. The decreasing population of this species and the slow

response by regional governments to save it earned the Maltese ray a

critically endangered rating from the IUCN.

10. Bluefin TunaPerhaps the most iconic of endangered

fish, the bluefin tuna occupies most of the northern Atlantic Ocean. One of the fastest fish in the sea, this species can grow

to a length of 10 feet and weigh more than 1,400 pounds. This species' reputation as a fighter has made it a popular catch among recreational fisherman. And at a

going rate of up to $100,000 per fish, it's highly prized by commercial fisherman as well. Bluefin tuna are heavily overfished,

and most experts agree that without prompt intervention, the slow-growing, slow-maturing species will become extinct.

International regulation is tricky, however, since the bluefin tuna is known to migrate thousands of miles across the ocean. And so far, efforts to control harvests have largely failed. Chosen by the WWF

(formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund) as the sixth most threatened species in the world, sea or land, the bluefin tuna is by

all measures critically endangered.

THREATENED FISHES

1. Pelagic Thresher

The pelagic thresher is a species

of thresher shark; this group of sharks is

characterized by the greatly elongated

upper lobes of their caudal fins. The

pelagic thresher occurs in the tropical and

subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, usually far

from shore but occasionally entering coastal habitats. It is

often confused with the common thresher, even in professional

publications, but can be distinguished by the dark, rather than

white, color over the bases of its pectoral fins. The smallest of

the three thresher species, the pelagic thresher typically

measures 3 m (10 ft) long.

2. Eulachon

Eulachon are distinguished by the large

canine teeth on the vomer bone and 18 to 23 rays in

the anal fin. Like salmon and trout they have

an adipose fin; it is sickle-shaped. The paired

fins are longer in males than in females. All

fins have well-developed breeding tubercles (raised tissue "bumps")

in ripe males, but these are poorly developed or absent in females.

Adult coloration is brown to blue on the back and top of the head,

lighter to silvery white on the sides, and white on the ventral surface;

speckling is fine, sparse, and restricted to the back. Adults can reach

maximum lengths of 30 cm (1 ft) but most adults are between 15 to

20 cm (6 to 8 in.) They feed on plankton but only while at sea.

3. Canary Rockfish

As the name suggests, this rockfish is

notable for a general orange-yellow

appearance, consisting of a blotchy

orange pattern over a whitish or light gray

background. The head has three stripes

angling downwards and back, the middle one generally running

across the eye, and the other two on each side of the eye.

The Lateral line is in a clear area. The fins are orange, with the

pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins somewhat pointed and larger (thus

the species epithet pinniger, meaning "I bear a large fin"). Some

individuals have dark blotches on the body or dorsal fin.

Maximum recorded length if 76 cm (29.6 in).

4. Chinook Salmon

The Chinook salmon is the largest species in the

Pacific salmon genus. Other commonly used names

for the species include king salmon, Quinnat

salmon, spring salmon and Tyee salmon. Chinook are anadromous

fish native to the north Pacific Ocean and the river systems of western North

America ranging from California to Alaska. They are also native to Asian rivers

ranging from northern Japan to the Palyavaam River in the Siberian far east,

although only the Kamchatka Peninsula supports relatively persistent native

populations. They have been introduced to other parts of the world,

including New Zealand and the Great Lakes. A large Chinook is a prized and

sought-after catch for a sporting angler. The flesh of the salmon is also highly

valued for its dietary nutritional content, which includes high levels of

important omega-3 fatty acids. Some populations are endangered, though

Chinook salmon have not been assessed for the IUCN Red List.

5. Chum Salmon

The body of the chum salmon is deeper than

most salmonid species. In common with

other species found in the Pacific, the anal fin has

12 to 20 rays, compared with a maximum of

12 in European species. Chum have an ocean

coloration of silvery blue green with some indistinct spotting in a darker

shade, and a rather paler belly. When they move into fresh water the color

changes to dark olive green and the belly color deepens. When adults are

near spawning, they have purple blotchy streaks near the caudal

peduncle, darker towards the tail. Spawning males typically grow an

elongated snout or kype, their lower fins become tipped with white and

they have enlarged teeth. Some researchers speculate these

characteristics are used to compete for mates.

6. Coho Salmon

During their ocean phase, Coho salmon

have q silver sides and dark-blue backs.

During their spawning phase,

their jaws and teeth become hooked. After

entering fresh water, they develop

bright-red sides, bluish-green heads and backs, dark bellies and

dark spots on their backs. Sexually maturing fish develop a light-

pink or rose shading along the belly, and the males may show a

slight arching of the back. Mature adults have a pronounced red

skin color with darker backs and average 28 inches (71 cm) and 7

to 11 pounds (3.2 to 5.0 kg), occasionally reaching up to 36 pounds

(16 kg). Mature females may be darker than males, with both

showing a pronounced hook on the nose.

7. Green Sturgeon

Green Sturgeon are similar in appearance

to the sympatric white sturgeon, except the

barbells are closer to the mouth than the

tip of the long, narrow snout. The

dorsal row of scutes numbers 8-11, lateral

rows, 23-30, and bottom rows, 7-10; there is one large scute

behind the dorsal fin as well as the anal fin (both lacking in white

sturgeon). The scutes also tend to be sharper and more pointed

than in the white sturgeon. The dorsal fin has 33-36 rays, the

anal fin, 22-28. The body color is olive green with an olivaceous

stripe on each side; the scute are paler than the body.

8. Gulf Sturgeon

The Gulf sturgeon is

a subspecies of sturgeon that lives in the Gulf of

Mexico and some rivers draining into it. The Gulf

sturgeon was first recognized as a separate

subspecies in 1955. The nominate subspecies is the Atlantic

sturgeon. The gulf sturgeon is listed as threatened under the United

States Endangered Species Act, having been listed in 1991. Critical

habitat, reflecting the current range of the subspecies, has been

designated. The historical range is thought to have been from

the Suwanee River on the western coast of Florida to the Mississippi

River, and marine waters of the central and eastern portions of the

Gulf of Mexico. Three sturgeon species in genus Scaphirhynchus share

river territory with the Gulf sturgeon; none of these is anadromous.

9. Steelhead Trout

The steelhead has the same general

appearance as other rainbow trout,

particularly when young. Sea-running

(anadromy) occurs in both the

coastal and interior forms of rainbow trout. The adult has a more

streamlined, torpedo-like body shape than the resident rainbow.

The male’s jaw lengthens at maturity and forms a ‘kype’ or knob

on the tip, similar to Pacific salmon. When fresh from the sea,

they are usually very bright and silvery. As they approach

spawning a pink to red lateral line appears that extends over the

gill covers then gradually they darken to a dull grey or brown.

10. Scalloped Hammerhead Shark

On average, males measure 1.5 to 1.8 m (4.9 to

5.9 ft) and weigh approximately 29 kg (64 lb)

when they attain sexual maturity, whereas the larger

females measure 2.5 m (8.2 ft) and weigh 80 kg

(180 lb) on average at sexual maturity. The maximum length of the

scalloped hammerhead is 4.3 m (14 ft) and the maximum weight 152.4 kg

(336 lb), per Fish Base. A female caught off of Miami was found to have

measured 3.26 m (10.7 ft) and reportedly weighed 200 kg (440 lb), though

was in a gravid state at that point. These sharks have a very high

metabolic rate, governing behavior in the acquirement of food. These

sharks occupy tertiary trophic levels. The scalloped hammerhead shark,

like many other species, will use the shore as a breeding ground. Due to

high metabolic rates, young scalloped hammerhead sharks need a lot of

food, or they will starve.

SOURCES:EXTINCT

http://dinosaurs.about.com/od/dinosaurextinction/tp/10-Recently-Extinct-Fish.htm

ENDANGEREDhttp://animals.howstuffworks.com/endangered-species/top-10-most-endangered-fish.htm#page=1

THREATENEDhttp://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/esa/listed.htmhttp://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvo/OCAP/docs/OCAP_BA_008.pdfwww.wikipedia.org

Picturesgoogle.com