River Skater
Aquarius najas
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquarius_najas
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Hemiptera
Family
Gerridae
Genus
Aquarius
River Skater belongs to the family Gerridae, order Hemiptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The River Skater faces severe threats from habitat degradation due to water pollution, dam construction, and urban development along waterways. Climate change is altering water flow patterns and temperatures in the specific stream environments this species requires, while invasive species compete for resources and disrupt the delicate surface tension dynamics essential for their survival.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Clean, slow-moving freshwater streams, rivers, and pond margins with stable water surfaces and minimal current disturbance. Requires unpolluted waters with adequate riparian vegetation and specific surface tension conditions for locomotion and prey capture.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The River Skater faces severe threats from habitat degradation due to water pollution, dam construction, and urban development along waterways. Climate change is altering water flow patterns and temperatures in the specific stream environments this species requires, while invasive species compete for resources and disrupt the delicate surface tension dynamics essential for their survival.
Climate change altering stream flow and temperature
Dam construction and river channelization
Riparian habitat destruction
Water pollution from agricultural runoff and urban discharge
Invasive species competition
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). River Skater (Aquarius najas). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/river-skater