The Yarkon Bream (Acanthobrama telavivensis) improved from Extinct in the Wild to Vulnerable after 120 of the last wild fish were placed in captive breeding, followed by the release of 9,000 laboratory-born fish into restored habitats in Israel in 2006.
Notes on verification
Corroborated by IUCN, ISRAEL21c, Practical Fishkeeping, and a dedicated conservation case study, plus Wikipedia. Minor discrepancies in exact numbers/timing across sources but core facts consistent. [cascade flags: wikipedia_dropped_other_sources_exist | tier=unverified indep_score=0.3 clusters=3 claim_tier=notable] [rescored 2026-09-15: curated origin-host map (PR #65); unclassified hosts no longer scored as aggregators]
Sources
- IUCN Red List raises more red flags for threatened species (seed:environment_and_wildlife)
- https://israel21c.org/the-little-fish-that-returned-from-the-brink-of-extinction/ (corroboration)
- https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/fishkeeping-news/successful-return-of-fish-extinct-in-the-wild/ (corroboration)
- https://www.whatismissing.org/content/back-from-the-brink-yarqon-bleak (corroboration)