Threats

It has been observed that the distribution of some chaetognath species is closely linked with environmental variables (MSIP), thus making them excellent indicators of the health of their environment. Studying chaetognaths should assist in identifying if these variables change, if they do change then chaetognaths may be at an elevated risk of extinction. However, due to their small size, chaetognaths may not be the best option as an indicator species.

The effects of climate change may also affect chaetognaths; in particular, it may be assumed that increasing sea surface temperature (SST) would more likely to have a greater affect on them than increasing sea level. Sea surface temperature may affect chaetognaths that have their distribution restricted to colder waters, and would have less alternative options for suitable habitats. Additionally, increasing SST may affect the vertical distribution of temperatures that fall within an individual's preferred range.