CRCritically Endangered

Austrolebias bagual

Unknown

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Austrolebias bagual faces severe threats from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching activities that destroy and fragment its specialized wetland habitats. Urban development and infrastructure projects further reduce available breeding sites, while water pollution from agricultural runoff degrades the quality of remaining temporary pools. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering precipitation patterns that are critical for the seasonal flooding cycles this annual killifish depends upon for reproduction.
Threat summary

Habitat

Austrolebias bagual inhabits temporary freshwater pools and seasonal wetlands in the Pampas grasslands of southern Brazil and northern Uruguay. These ephemeral water bodies fill during rainy seasons and dry completely during drought periods, creating the specialized conditions required for this annual killifish's unique life cycle.

FRESHWATER· major

Other threatened species in Rivulidae

Peixe-anual

Austrolebias varzeae

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Austrolebias bagual classified as Critically Endangered?

Austrolebias bagual is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Austrolebias bagual faces severe threats from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching activities that destroy and fragment its specialized wetland habitats. Urban development and infrastructure projects further reduce available breeding sites, while water pollution from agricultural runoff degrades the quality of remaining temporary pools. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering precipitation patterns that are critical for the seasonal flooding cycles this annual killifish depends upon for reproduction.

Where does Austrolebias bagual live?

Austrolebias bagual occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.

What are the main threats to Austrolebias bagual?

The main threats to Austrolebias bagual are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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