In the early 20th century the Ammersee kilch was an important commercial species, but its population declined drastically in the 1930s onward due to overfishing and eutrophication of the only lake in which it is found.

The Ammersee kilch was first described in 1909 by German fishery scientist Bruno Hofer in his work Die Süsswasserfische von Mittel-Europa.

[2] The Ammersee kilch is a small fish with a slender, elongated body, blunted snout, large eyes, and subterminal mouth.

Human activity and pollution during the 20th century led to eutrophication of the lake, a process in which bacterial and algal levels increase in a body of water.

Eutrophication can cause fish to suffocate by lowering the oxygen levels in the water, and the IUCN mentions this as the primary threat to the survival of the Ammersee kilch species.