Forty Fishes in Freefall

Many fish species in the world are very close to extinction, rated as Critically Endangered.

Watch this space for FFSG’s upcoming report ‘Forty Freshwater Fishes in Freefall’. To be published in 2024, this report will showcase 40 of the world’s most threatened freshwater fishes.

Below are a small selection!

Head of very large catfish emerging from water, with vegetation behind, and with a human in the water, with his head next to the gigantic mouth of the fish. Image is shot at night.
Pangasianodon gigas Critically Endangered Mekong Giant Catfish ©Zeb Hogan
Five fish swimming against a dark background. They are roughly ovoid, with a long dorsal fin running almost to the tail. They are silver with black striping. The tail is fan shaped.
Oreochromis spp Critically Endangered Chambo ©George Turner
Very young silvery eels (elvers) in a cluster behind a rock, mostly facing right. In the middle is a larger, golden individual, also facing right.
Anguilla anguilla Critically Endangered European Eel ©Tim Watts
Young man in a hut, with an enormous fish on the mat in front of him, possible longer than himself. He is holding it on its ventral surface by its stout dorsal fin. It is a robust, heavy-bodied fish, with a head that is rather large for the body, with no barbels, but thick, blubbery lips and silver and black scales about the size of a human palm.
Catlocarpio siamensis Critically Endangered Giant Carp ©Zeb Hogan
Two small, ovoid fish swimming above a gritty substrate, with a large white rock behind them. One is facing left, and the other right. Both have electric blue bodies with a thick horizontal black stripe along their sides.
Pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos (Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos) Critically Endangered Maingano ©Paul Loiselle
Small, brightly coloured fish, with a green and blue body, and red edges to its fins, dorsal fin, which runs almost the tail, and fan-shaped tail. On the large anal fin, there are orange spots.
Haplochromis hiatus (Gaurochromis hiatus) Critically Endangered ©Paul Loiselle
Two fish, both facing right. The body is yellow, with black vertical stripes, and reddish colouring toward the head. The anal fin has orange spots on the following edge. The blue-green serrted dorsal fin extends almost to the tail. The tail is fan-shaped.
Astatotilapia latifasciatus (Haplochromis latifasciatus) Critically Endangered ©Paul Loiselle
A shoal of small, slender-bodies orange fish with red finds, swimming leftward, in a habitat with abundant water plants.
Pseudobarbus erubescens Critically Endangered Twee River redfin ©Jeremy Shelton
A yellow-green bodied fish with five horizontal black lines along its side, and bright red eyes. The body is somewhat humped toward the head.
Probarbus jullieni Jullien’s Golden Carp Critically Endangered ©Brian Zimmerman