ZSL London Zoo celebrate success of worldwide appeal

Following an international appeal to find a female mate for a critically-endangered fish species, aquarists at ZSL London Zoo are celebrating the discovery of a small population in remote Madagascar.

An exploratory expedition by ZSL London Zoo’s Aquarium Curator, Brian Zimmerman, and colleague Kienan Parbles uncovered the first one of the last remaining Mangarahara cichlids in existence.

The Mangarahara cichlid (Ptychochromis insolitus) is a freshwater fish believed to be near-extinct in the wild due to the loss of native habitat from deforestation and river diversions for rice farming, and the last two known individuals of this rare species, who are both male, have been residing in ZSL London Zoo's Aquarium.

After launching an appeal in May 2013, hundreds of private aquarium owners, fish collectors and scientists contacted Brian Zimmerman, to offer up advice and suggestions.

Commenting on the expedition, which also involved aquarists from Toronto Zoo in Canada, Brian Zimmerman said, “We are simply thrilled that we found the Mangarahara cichlid surviving in Madagascar.

“We weren’t holding out much hope of finding any fish in the wild, as so much of the Mangarahara River now resembles the desert because of deforestation and intensive agricultural use.

“These cichlids have shown remarkable survival skills, and managed to find one of the very last remaining water sources to live in, but their numbers are tiny and the non-flowing water is not an ideal habitat for them. We’re now doing all we can to protect these remaining fish.”

The ZSL London Zoo's Fish Net conservation project, which aims to protect vulnerable freshwater fish species from extinction, has moved 18 of the found Mangarahara cichlids to an aquaculture facility in Madagascar, while conservation plans are made to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. 

Image credit: ZSL London Zoo