One-quarter of freshwater fauna threatened with extinction

Catherine A. Sayer (), Eresha Fernando, Randall R. Jimenez, Nicholas B. W. Macfarlane, Giovanni Rapacciuolo, Monika Böhm, Thomas M. Brooks, Topiltzin Contreras-MacBeath, Neil A. Cox, Ian Harrison, Michael Hoffmann, Richard Jenkins, Kevin G. Smith, Jean-Christophe Vié, John C. Abbott, David J. Allen, Gerald R. Allen, Violeta Barrios, Jean-Pierre Boudot, Savrina F. Carrizo, Patricia Charvet, Viola Clausnitzer, Leonardo Congiu, Keith A. Crandall, Neil Cumberlidge, Annabelle Cuttelod, James Dalton, Adam G. Daniels, Sammy Grave, Geert Knijf, Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra, Rory A. Dow, Jörg Freyhof, Nieves García, Joern Gessner, Abebe Getahun, Claudine Gibson, Matthew J. Gollock, Michael I. Grant, Alice E. R. Groom, Michael P. Hammer, Geoffrey A. Hammerson, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Laurel Hodgkinson, Robert A. Holland, Rima W. Jabado, Diego Juffe Bignoli, Vincent J. Kalkman, Bakhtiyor K. Karimov, Jens Kipping, Maurice Kottelat, Philippe A. Lalèyè, Helen K. Larson, Mark Lintermans, Federico Lozano, Arne Ludwig, Timothy J. Lyons, Laura Máiz-Tomé, Sanjay Molur, Heok Hee Ng, Catherine Numa, Amy F. Palmer-Newton, Charlotte Pike, Helen E. Pippard, Carla N. M. Polaz, Caroline M. Pollock, Rajeev Raghavan, Peter S. Rand, Tsilavina Ravelomanana, Roberto E. Reis, Cassandra L. Rigby, Janet A. Scott, Paul H. Skelton, Matthew R. Sloat, Jos Snoeks, Melanie L. J. Stiassny, Heok Hui Tan, Yoshinori Taniguchi, Eva B. Thorstad, Marcelo F. Tognelli, Armi G. Torres, Yan Torres, Denis Tweddle, Katsutoshi Watanabe, James R. S. Westrip, Emma G. E. Wright, E Zhang and William R. T. Darwall
Additional contact information
Catherine A. Sayer: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Eresha Fernando: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Randall R. Jimenez: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Nicholas B. W. Macfarlane: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Giovanni Rapacciuolo: Elimia
Monika Böhm: Indianapolis Zoo
Thomas M. Brooks: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Topiltzin Contreras-MacBeath: Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos
Neil A. Cox: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Ian Harrison: Northern Arizona University
Michael Hoffmann: Zoological Society of London
Richard Jenkins: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Kevin G. Smith: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Jean-Christophe Vié: Fondation Franklinia
John C. Abbott: The University of Alabama
David J. Allen: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Gerald R. Allen: Western Australian Museum
Violeta Barrios: Sahara Conservation
Jean-Pierre Boudot: University of Nancy/CNRS
Savrina F. Carrizo: Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia
Patricia Charvet: Federal University of Ceará
Viola Clausnitzer: Senckenberg
Leonardo Congiu: University of Padova
Keith A. Crandall: George Washington University
Neil Cumberlidge: Northern Michigan University
Annabelle Cuttelod: Independent researcher
James Dalton: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Adam G. Daniels: Independent researcher
Sammy Grave: Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Geert Knijf: Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO)
Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra: Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Rory A. Dow: Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Jörg Freyhof: Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science
Nieves García: Independent researcher
Joern Gessner: Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Abebe Getahun: Addis Ababa University
Claudine Gibson: Auckland Zoo
Matthew J. Gollock: Zoological Society of London
Michael I. Grant: James Cook University
Alice E. R. Groom: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Michael P. Hammer: Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Geoffrey A. Hammerson: NatureServe
Craig Hilton-Taylor: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Laurel Hodgkinson: Animals Asia Foundation
Robert A. Holland: University of Southampton
Rima W. Jabado: James Cook University
Diego Juffe Bignoli: University of Kent
Vincent J. Kalkman: Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Bakhtiyor K. Karimov: Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers National Research University (TIIAME NRU)
Jens Kipping: BioCart Ökologische Gutachten
Maurice Kottelat: Independent researcher
Philippe A. Lalèyè: University of Abomey-Calavi
Helen K. Larson: Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Mark Lintermans: University of Canberra
Federico Lozano: Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Genética Ambiental — UNDAV
Arne Ludwig: Thaer-Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences
Timothy J. Lyons: Center for Species Survival: New Mexico, New Mexico BioPark Society
Laura Máiz-Tomé: Mott MacDonald Environment and Social Division (ENS)
Sanjay Molur: Zoo Outreach Organisation
Heok Hee Ng: National University of Singapore
Catherine Numa: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Amy F. Palmer-Newton: Independent researcher
Charlotte Pike: Zoological Society of London
Helen E. Pippard: Independent researcher
Carla N. M. Polaz: Chico Mendes Institute (ICMBio)
Caroline M. Pollock: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Rajeev Raghavan: Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS)
Peter S. Rand: Prince William Sound Science Center
Tsilavina Ravelomanana: Université d’Antananarivo
Roberto E. Reis: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul
Cassandra L. Rigby: James Cook University
Janet A. Scott: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Paul H. Skelton: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
Matthew R. Sloat: Wild Salmon Center
Jos Snoeks: Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren and KU Leuven (Leuven University)
Melanie L. J. Stiassny: American Museum of Natural History
Heok Hui Tan: National University of Singapore
Yoshinori Taniguchi: Meijo University
Eva B. Thorstad: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
Marcelo F. Tognelli: American Bird Conservancy
Armi G. Torres: Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology
Yan Torres: Federal University of Ceará
Denis Tweddle: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
Katsutoshi Watanabe: Kyoto University
James R. S. Westrip: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Emma G. E. Wright: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
E Zhang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
William R. T. Darwall: Tamar Valley National Landscape

Nature, 2025, vol. 638, issue 8049, 138-145

Abstract: Abstract Freshwater ecosystems are highly biodiverse1 and important for livelihoods and economic development2, but are under substantial stress3. To date, comprehensive global assessments of extinction risk have not included any speciose groups primarily living in freshwaters. Consequently, data from predominantly terrestrial tetrapods4,5 are used to guide environmental policy6 and conservation prioritization7, whereas recent proposals for target setting in freshwaters use abiotic factors8–13. However, there is evidence14–17 that such data are insufficient to represent the needs of freshwater species and achieve biodiversity goals18,19. Here we present the results of a multi-taxon global freshwater fauna assessment for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species covering 23,496 decapod crustaceans, fishes and odonates, finding that one-quarter are threatened with extinction. Prevalent threats include pollution, dams and water extraction, agriculture and invasive species, with overharvesting also driving extinctions. We also examined the degree of surrogacy of both threatened tetrapods and freshwater abiotic factors (water stress and nitrogen) for threatened freshwater species. Threatened tetrapods are good surrogates when prioritizing sites to maximize rarity-weighted richness, but poorer when prioritizing based on the most range-restricted species. However, they are much better surrogates than abiotic factors, which perform worse than random. Thus, although global priority regions identified for tetrapod conservation are broadly reflective of those for freshwater faunas, given differences in key threats and habitats, meeting the needs of tetrapods cannot be assumed sufficient to conserve freshwater species at local scales.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08375-z

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