NOAA to Review 10 Fish Species for ESA Listing

NOAA Fisheries recently found that a petition to list 10 species of skates and rays and 15 species of bony fishes under the Endangered Species Act presented sufficient evidence to warrant status reviews for 10 species.

On July 15, 2013, NOAA received a petition from the WildEarth Guardians to list 81 marine species as threatened or endangered under the ESA and to designate critical habitat under the ESA. Included in the petition were 25 fish species (10 skates and rays and 15 bony fishes).

Status reviews will include the following species

skates and rays:

Bathyraja griseocauda  (graytail skate)
Raja undulata  (undulate ray)
Rhinobatos cemiculus (blackchin guitarfish)
R. horkelii  (Brazilian guitarfish)
R. rhinobatos (common guitarfish/violinfish)

bony fishes:

Latimeria chalumnae (coelacanth/gombessa)
Mycteroperca fusca (comb grouper/island grouper)
Mycteroperca jordani (Gulf grouper)
Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai cardinalfish)
Scarus trispinosus (greenback parrotfish)

NOAA will conduct a status review of the 10 species of skates and rays and bony fishes to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. Stakeholders can submit scientific and commercial evidence pertaining to the 10 fish species by April 25.

source: NOAA FishNews, Federal Register