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Species of Concern and Candidate Species

Purpose of the Species of Concern list:

Identify species potentially at risk;
Identify data deficiencies and uncertainties in species’ status and threats;
Increase public awareness about those species;
Stimulate cooperative research efforts to obtain the information necessary to evaluate species status and threats; and
Foster voluntary efforts to conserve the species before listing becomes warranted.

Why are Most Former Candidate Species Now “Species of Concern”?
Under the ESA, a Candidate Species is one that is being considered for listing as an
endangered or a threatened species. Most former Candidate Species had uncertain biological status and threats, but were not actively being considered for listing under the ESA. In fact, some former Candidate Species had undergone an ESA biological status review determining that listing was “not warranted,” but significant concerns or uncertainties remained regarding their extinction risk and/or threats.

To better reflect the purposes of the list that NOAA Fisheries maintains, these species are now considered“Species of Concern.” (64 FR 19975 - April 15, 2004 View the Official Notice). Only those species that are being actively considered for ESA listing are also "Candidate Species." Neither status carries any procedural or substantive protections under the ESA.

For more information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions on Species of Concern and Candidate Species

Species of Concern List

Common name (click for species profile)	Genus and Species	Family	Added to List	Population or Area of Concern
*Marine Mammals*
beluga whale	Delphinapterus leucas	Monodontidae	1988	AK (Cook Inlet population)
killer whale	Orcinus orca	Dephinidae	2001	WA (Southern Resident population)*
*Fishes*
dusky shark	Carcharhinus obscurus	Carcharhinidae	1997	Atlantic; Gulf of Mexico; Pacific
sand tiger shark	Odontaspis taurus	Odontaspididae	1997	Atlantic; Gulf of Mexico
night shark	Carcharinus signatus	Carcharhinidae	1997	Atlantic; Gulf of Mexico
largetooth sawfish	Pristis pristis	Pristidae	1988	Noth and South America - tropical and subtropical waters
barndoor skate	Raja laevis	Rajidae	1999	Cape Hatteras, NC to Newfoundland, Canada
thorny skate	Raja radiata	Rajidae	2004	Atlantic-West Greenland to NY
Atlantic sturgeon	Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus	Acipenseridae	1988	North America, Atlantic coastal waters
green sturgeon	Acipenser medirostris	Acipenseridae	2003	Pacific-northern DPS* (including coastal spawning populations from the Eel River north, to the Klamath and Rogue rivers) and southern DPS* (includes Sacramento River spawning population); anadromous.
Alabama shad	Alosa alabamae	Clupeidae	1997	AL, FL, anadromous
coho salmon	Oncorhynchus kisutch	Salmonidae	1997	Pacific, anadromous. Puget Sound/Strait of Georgia and Southwest WA ESUs
steelhead trout	Oncorhynchus mykiss	Salmonidae	1997	Pacific, anadromous. OR Coast ESU
chinook salmon	Oncorhynchus tshawytscha	Salmonidae	1997	Pacific, Central Valley, fall and late fall-run ESU
Atlantic salmon	Salmo salar	Salmonidae	1997	Atlantic, anadromous. Kennebec River, Tunk Stream, Penobscot River, and St. Croix River DPSs
rainbow smelt	Osmerus mordax	Osmeridae	2004	Atlantic-Labrador to NJ; anadromous.
cusk	Brosme brosme	Gadidae	2004	Atlantic-Gulf of Maine.
Pacific hake	Merluccius productus	Gadidae	1999	Georgia Basin
mangrove rivulus	Rivulus marmoratus	Aplocheilidae	1997	FL, estuarine
saltmarsh topminnow	Fundulus jenkinsi	Cyprinodontidae	1991	TX, LA, MS, AL, FL
key silverside	Menidia conchorum	Atherinidae	1991	Florida Keys
opossum pipefish	Microphis brachyurus lineatus	Syngnathidae	1991	Florida, Indian River Lagoon
striped croaker	Bairdiella sanctaeluciae	Sciaenidae	1991	Atlantic-FL, Antilles and Caribbean from Costa Rica to Guyana.
humphead wrasse	Cheilinus undulatus	Labridae	2004	Indo-Pacific-Red Sea to the Tuamotus, north to the Ryukyus, east to Wake Islands, south to New Caledonia, throughout Micronesia; includes U.S. territories of Guam and American Samoa.
bumphead parrotfish	Bolbometopon muricatum	Scaridae	2004	Indo-Pacific-Red Sea and East Africa to the Line Islands and Samoa; north to Yaeyama, south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia; Paulau, Caroline, Mariana in Micronesia; in U.S. it occurs in Guam, American Samoa, CNMI and the Pacific Remote Island Areas (Wake Islands).
Atlantic wolffish	Anarhichas lupus	Anarhichadidae	2004	Atlantic-Georges Bank and western Gulf of Maine.
white marlin	Tetrapturus albidus	Istiophoridae	2002	Atlantic.
cowcod	Sebastes levis	Scorpaenidae	2004	Pacific-Central OR to central Baja California and Guadalupe Island, Mexico.
bocaccio	Sebastes paucispinis	Scorpaenidae	1999	Pacific, CA to OR
Atlantic halibut	Hippoglossus hippoglossus	Pleuronectidae	2004	Atlantic-Labrador to southern New England.
speckled hind	Epinephelus drummondhayi	Serranidae	1997	NC to Gulf of Mexico
goliath grouper	Epinephelus itijara	Serranidae	1991	NC southward to Gulf of Mexico
warsaw grouper	Epinephelus nigritus	Serranidae	1997	MA to Gulf of Mexico
Nassau grouper	Epinephelus striatus	Serranidae	1991	NC southward to Gulf of Mexico
Brachiopods
inarticulate brachiopod	Lingula reevii	Lingulidae	2004	Pacific-Hawaii, only Kaneohe Bay.
Mollusks
pink abalone	Haliotis corrugata	Haliotidae	2004	Pacific-Point Conception, CA, to Bahia de Tortuga, Baja California.
black abalone	Haliotis cracherodii	Haliotidae	1999	OR, CA, Baja CA
green abalone	Haliotis fulgens	Haliotidae	2004	Pacific-Point Conception, CA, to Bahia Magdalena, Baja California.
pinto abalone	Haliotis kamtschatkana	Haliotidae	2004	Pacific-Sitka, AK, to Point Conception, CA.
Anthozoans (corals)
elkhorn coral	Acropora palmata	Acroporidae	1991	western Atlantic; Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea *
staghorn coral	Acropora cervicornis	Acroporidae	1991	western Atlantic; Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea *
Hawaiian reef coral	Montipora dilitata	Acroporidae	2004	Pacific-Hawaii (Kaneohe Bay, Midway atoll, and Maro Reef).
ivory bush coral	Oculina varicosa	Oculinidae	1991	Atlantic-West Indies, Bermuda, NC, FL, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean.
Fused-Staghorn Coral	Acropora prolifera	Acroporidae	2004	western Atlantic; Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea *

* NOAA Fisheries is reviewing the status of these Species of Concern as a result of petition to list them under the ESA. Therefore, they are also considered to be Candidate Species

NOAA Fisheries, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910
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