6 Fish Species That Are Now Extinct

No matter how small, every living organism has its place on this planet. But it’s disappointing to know the number of fish species that we’ve lost over the years. Estimates may vary but most scientists believe that the list we’re about to show you features fish species that are now extinct.

Different species of fish found in ocean

1. Blackfin Cisco

There used to be a thriving Blackfin population in the Great Lakes but as of today, their population has been dwindling due to predatory hunting and overfishing. Considered a member of the Salmonidae family, the Blackfin Cisco first began showing signs of extinction in the 1960s. Experts believe that the fish was last seen in 2006 near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

2. Blue Walleye

Some people also call it the Blue Pike. This one was lost to overfishing in the Great Lakes—especially during the mid 20^th century. The species was last spotted in the 1980s. Some experts believe that this species didn’t die out exactly because of over-fishing, rather many predatory species like the Rainbow Smelt began invading their waters. Well, that remains a hypothesis for now.

3. Harelip Sucker

This one’s got a funny name but we’re still upset that we didn’t get to know much about it. Maybe we can visit a museum now, considering this species was already long gone in the early 20^th century.

4. Silver Trout

Who doesn’t love trout for dinner? But no, overconsumption was not why the Silver Trout ran extinct. The fish were very rare to begin with and many of their species relocated to northern USA.  The last time this species was spotted was some time in the 1930s.

5.  Tecopa Pupfish

The Tecopa were a robust family of fish who could endure serious changes to their environmental habitat. But one thing most animals cannot outlive is human encroachment. The Tecopa Pupfish used to swim in the hot springs of the Mojave Desert in California but ever since a health fad broke out in the region, the fish species began dwindling.

6. Yellowfin Cutthroat Trout

The name makes it sound like a gangster amid marine creatures.  The Yellowfin ran extinct sometime in the late 19^th century when predatory species were first introduced to the Twin Lakes of Colorado.

What can we learn from this?

Just because a vast majority of marine animals ran extinct before the 21^st century does not mean humankind has no role to play in it. Many more sea creatures are dying at staggering rates due to man-made pollution but we can halt the extinction rates.

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