As biodiversity loss accelerates across both terrestrial and marine environments, the international conservation charity Fauna & Flora has revealed its Species to Watch for 2026 – a call to attention for plants and animals teetering on the edge of extinction and the conservation actions that could still secure their future.

Grounded in science, field experience and frontline conservation work, the annual list highlights ten threatened species from around the world. Among them are two species of particular concern for ocean and freshwater ecosystems – the European eel and the blackchin guitarfish.

Both species are now deemed emblematic of the mounting pressures facing migratory fishes and coastal elasmobranchs, while the list itself – Fauna & Flora’s CEO, Kristian Teleki has said, is “both a warning and a source of optimism.”

“The species we share our planet with are truly extraordinary. From the most peculiar of rays, to the majestic falcon, to the tulips we buy in our supermarkets each day, every plant and animal plays a unique and essential role in sustaining life on Earth. But time is running out,” said Teleki.

“With less than five years to go until 2030, a guiding star for many global nature and climate goals, we can no longer afford to delay action to protect and restore our planet’s natural wonders. The pressures facing nature are severe, and species populations are declining at an alarming rate.”

The annual Species to Watch list aims to offer insight into the key challenges facing some of the world’s most vulnerable species, including habitat loss, deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, and climate change. Alongside this, however, it shines a spotlight on the many plants and animals Fauna & Flora is currently working to protect.

“In challenging times, it stands as a beacon of hope,” said Teleki.

Once abundant across rivers, estuaries and coastlines throughout Europe, the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) has undergone one of the most dramatic population declines of any fish species. In the UK alone, numbers have fallen by 95% over the past quarter-century. Overfishing, barriers to migration, pollution and illegal trade have combined to push this enigmatic species towards extinction.

Yet the eel’s importance extends far beyond its own survival. As a key component of freshwater and coastal food webs, it provides a vital energy source for predators including otters and bitterns. Its disappearance would ripple through ecosystems already under strain.

Fauna & Flora recently detected European eels during freshwater monitoring in Georgia, where the species had not been recorded for some time. Building on this discovery, further research planned for 2026 aims to better understand the eel’s distribution and status in the region—an important step in informing future recovery efforts.

Meanwhile, in the marine realm, the blackchin guitarfish (Glaucostegus cemiculus) stands out as one of the most threatened species on the 2026 list. With a body that seems to blur the line between shark and ray, this distinctive shovelnose ray inhabits the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic, including the waters of Cabo Verde.

Despite its unusual appearance, the blackchin guitarfish has been driven to the brink by familiar pressures that include overfishing, habitat destruction and a slow reproductive rate. Now listed as critically endangered, its future depends on urgent reductions in fishing mortality and stronger protection of coastal habitats.

In Cabo Verde, Fauna & Flora is working alongside local partners – Biosfera, Projecto Vitó and Project Biodiversity – to safeguard threatened sharks and rays. Efforts focus on strengthening marine protected area networks and improving fisheries management to give species like the blackchin guitarfish a chance to recover.

Alongside the European eel and blackchin guitarfish, Fauna & Flora’s 2026 Species to Watch also include the Saint Lucia fer de lance, Indian rainbow tarantula, Temminck’s pangolin, cao vit gibbon, Utila spiny-tailed iguana, saker falcon, wild tulips and the clouded leopard. From venomous snakes to cultivated flowers, the list underscores how conservation challenges cut across ecosystems, geographies and taxonomic groups.

Together, the species serve as indicators of what is at stake – and what remains possible – if conservation action is scaled up in time.

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