2023-12-12 19:43:36
The IUCN has declared the first marine fish in history extinct following an assessment led by experts from Charles Darwin University (CDU). – EDDA AEL, MUSEUM FÜR NATURKUNDE BERLIN.
MADRID, 12 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
A rare species of stingraywhich was only recorded once in the late 19th century, has been declared extinct, becoming the first species of marine fish to disappear due to human activity.
The extinction of the parsnip of Java (Urolophus javanicus), a small relative of the manta rays, has been declared by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) following an evaluation carried out by an international team led by Charles Darwin University (CDU).
This fish was known only from a single specimen collected in 1862 at a fish market in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The team carried out new models that encompass all the information available about the species that has revealed it to be extinct.
Julia Constance, CDU PhD candidate and lead evaluator, said a number of issues had contributed to the disappearance of Urolophus javanicus.
“Intensive and generally unregulated fishing is probably the main threat that will result in the depletion of the Java stingray population, and coastal fish catches in the Java Sea were already declining in the 1870s,” Constance said. it’s a statement.
“The northern coast of Java, particularly Jakarta Bay, where the species was known to occur, is also highly industrialized, with extensive and long-term habitat loss and degradation. These impacts were severe enough to sadly cause the extinction of this species.“, said.
As part of assessing the plight of this species, the team looked at known threats such as overfishing and habitat loss and whether the species had been recorded in fish markets through surveys.
CDU PhD candidate Benaya Simeon, who studies threatened rays in Indonesia, said that despite extensive research efforts since 2001, no additional specimens have been found.
“A number of fish landing sites have been extensively monitored along the northern coast of Java and throughout Indonesia, but the Java Stingaree (as the species is called in English) has not been recorded.”said Simeon.
“Urolophus javanicus was a unique plate-sized stingray, with no similar species in Java and the fact that it has not been found during countless studies confirms its extinction.”
Dr Peter Kyne, senior researcher at the CDU Environment and Livelihoods Research Institute, said there are more than 120 critically endangered marine fish in the world and the loss of Urolophus javanicus is a turning point for marine biodiversity.
“Extinction is forever and unless we can secure populations of threatened marine species around the world, the Java Stingaree will be just the tip of the iceberg,” Constance said.
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