From coexisting with dinosaurs and surviving five mass extinctions, the Cuban manjuarí fish (Atractosteus tristoechus, or Cuban gar) today faces two threats that could finally break its historical resilience: the African Walking Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and humanity.
Scientists have struggled to track its population for decades, nearly losing sight of this remarkable fish despite its notable characteristics: a cylindrical, elongated body up to 60 inches long, covered in stone-like plates.
The manjuarí fish, designated as one of the most emblematic fish on the island, has been labeled as “critically endangered” on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2020. This classification signifies a population decline of over 80 percent, primarily due to habitat degradation and invasive species.
How the Cuban Gar Has Survived
The fish with "many teeth" was already a staple in the diet of the first inhabitants of the Caribbean island at the time of the Spanish conquest.
