Marine animals are particularly vulnerable to overexploitation.
The vast expanse of ocean that covers our planet seems impervious to over-exploitation. However, in recent years more and more marine animals have become critically endangered due to overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction. Many of these species require protection, either through restrictions on fishing, conservation of their habitat or international mandates to protect vital migratory paths. Thankfully, many critically endangered species recover once efforts are made to preserve them.
Pondicherry Shark
Small populations of pondicherry sharks (Carcharhinus hemiodon) are found throughout the waters of Southeast Asia. It is a relatively small species, reaching just 6 feet in length, with a rounded nose and large eyes. Coloration on the pondicherry shark is striking, with a gunmetal gray upper body, white belly and black tips on its pectoral and dorsal fins. Little is known about the species due to its natural scarcity, but sightings have become increasingly rare in recent years, leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to place the species on its Red List of Threatened Species.
Ornate Sleeper Ray
The small ornate sleeper ray (Electrolux addisoni) is a recently discovered species, first described in 2007. Found in reefs off the coast of South Africa, they live in water that is less than 150 feet deep with abundant crustaceans, which is their preferred prey. Best known for their distinctive dark-brown and white markings, the ornate sleeper ray is one of 69 species of electric ray in the world, and the most endangered. Little is known about their numbers but very few have ever been caught, leading scientists at the IUCN to list it as a critically endangered animal.
Black Abalone
Once the most common mollusk along the Pacific coast, the black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) is now a highly endangered species due to overfishing and disease. They are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, as well as being listed as protected under the Endangered Species Act, as of 2009. Black abalones live attached to rocks within the intertidal zone, in water up to 15 feet deep. They are known for the iridescent, mother-of-pearl interior of their shells, which shows varying shades of pink, green and silver. The exterior of their shell provides a certain amount of camouflage from predators, being dull black and covered with barnacles and limpets.
Hawaiian Monk Seal
The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is believed by researchers to be one of the most endangered of all seal species due to overhunting. Although they were once found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, their range is now restricted to small outlying islands that are not populated by humans. There are fewer than 200 Hawaiian monk seals left, according to Neville Coleman in his book "Encyclopedia of Marine Animals." Seldom growing longer than 7 feet and weighing only 450 pounds, they are a small species with grayish-brown fur and large eyes.
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