September 12, 2008
The endangered holiday darter, native to the southeastern United States, is just one of the many species of imperiled freshwater fish found in North America. (Photo Credit: Noel Burkhead/USGS.
A study conducted by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with researchers from Canada and Mexico has found that nearly 40 percent of fish found in North American streams, rivers, and lakes are in danger of extinction. The study, published in the journal Fisheries, a publication of the American Fisheries Society, is an update to a report on the same topic published in 1989.
In the previous study, 364 species were listed as imperiled. In the 2008 study, a total of 700 species are listed. This change is an increase of 92 percent. Among these 700 species of fish, 230 are listed as "vulnerable," 190 are listed as "threatened," 280 are listed as "endangered," and 61 species are presumed to be extinct.
According to the report, the groups of fish that are the most at risk include salmon and trout endemic to the Pacific Coast and western North American mountain regions; minnows, suckers, and catfish across North America; and pupfish, livebearers, and godeids native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. The areas with the most vulnerable populations of freshwater fish include the southeastern United States, mid-Pacific Coast, lower Rio Grande, and inland basins of Mexico.
