Random survey uncovers rare fish :
Where have all the freshwater fish gone?
by Nilma Dole
When we think that most of our
endemic species are lost and gone forever, it takes a slight moment of
truth to realise that they might not be extinct after all. For a species
to be considered extinct, it would take about 30 to 40 years in which no
human being should have seen it.
In a startling revelation, the President of the Wildlife Conservation
Society of Galle (WCSG) Madura de Silva said that there are plenty of
lazy researchers who don’t actually do ground work to record and locate
our most prized species. “Most Sri Lankan researchers just check on
notes taken by other researchers or former case studies. They dont
really do field trips and swim in the freshwater basins or streams to
check if the freshwater fishes are actually in existence!” he said.
So it was just a few days ago, on a six member expedition, when
Madura and his team from the WCSG were surveying and looking for new
species of Sri Lankan freshwater fish that they discovered a rare
species that would have been considered extinct as it was found after 53
years! Initially thinking that it was a new species of Rasboroides, it
was found to be the Meinken’s Fairy Rasbora, the fish species was
secretly living in the area of Athwaltota. According to Madura, “We
consulted renowned fish scientish Rohan Pethiyagoda who identified it as
Rasboroides nigromarginata. It is just 2 cms long and it was first
described in 1957 by H. Meinken, a German scientist, who received some
specimens through the ornamental fish trade.” He added, “Although he
knew it was from Sri Lanka, he had no idea where exactly the original
population was, and the species has remained a mystery until we
discovered it recently.”
While not only concentrating on the newly discovered Fairy Rasboras,
the WCSG have also recorded and discovered some new species which are
still in need of proper case studies to add them to the database. Madura
said, “We hope to describe and name it the near future because even
though many books have been written on Sri Lanka’s freshwater fishes, it
is good to know that we keep discovering new species and rediscovering
ones we thought had disappeared.” At present, they are tracking down a
fish called the Puntius layardi, which has not been seen since it was
originally collected in the 1860s by the great ornithologist, Edgar
Layard.
Madura also said that the WCSG hopes to have some captive and
sustainable breeding programs pertaining to the species if its wild
population is threatened or suddenly depletes in numbers. “The members
of our Society are also planning a scientific paper to further describe
the species and to formally validate its position in the national
inventory of freshwater fish species,” he said.
At present, Athwaltota in Matugama is one of the only water bodies
that sustain plenty of endemic and endangered species. “We can advise
and create awareness about protecting this area but it’s up to the
authorities to declare these areas as protected reserves,” said Madura.
Several key environmental authorities such as the Department of Wildlife
Conservation, Central Environment Authority and the Ministry of
Environment have some of the strictest laws but they should be
implemented to make sure that people realise the value of nature
conservation instead of seeking their own good fun.
“A fitting example is in a small stream in Kegalle where the endemic
Bandula Barb makes its home. The education and awareness is so high that
even the locals and police protect this fish,” said Madura.
Protecting the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka which incorporates
Horton Plains National Park, Peak Wilderness Sanctuary and Knuckles
Mountain Range on the World Heritage List is not enough. Even though Sri
Lanka is a small area of forestry compared to great rainforests such as
Borneo or even the Amazon, our biodiversity is concentrated on a few
thousand hectares of forest land making it insufficient to protect every
variety of endemic and endangered species we have.
As for the future of nature conservation, with the country opening up
for tourism after peace, there should be a better understanding of
eco-tourism in the form of environmental research tourism.
“One of the best ways that we can generate monetary benefits and also
a better understanding in conserving our prized species is through
research conservation,” said Madura. He added, “Several corporations
also can lend a hand to nature conservation and we thank the Nations
Trust Bank for sponsoring this research where we found this rare fish.”
At the moment, there are strict regulations for foreigners to research
endemic species but villagers should realise that its for a good cause
and not anything bad provided these researchers come with permits and
are accompanied by Sri Lankan naturalists.
So it is imperative that we rally all nature lover and enthusiasts
and look for a better environmentally-friendly future together.
The Fairy Rasboras
Also known as: Rasboroides nigromarginata
Genus: Rasboroides
Threat status: Critically endangered because it is endemic and sometimes
exported as ornamental fish.
Extremely delicate fish and should not be collected for commercial
purposes because they are rare and in any case die very easily as a
result of handling
Location: south-western Sri Lanka
Habitat: Inhabit rainforest streams
Last discovered by: Rohan Pethiyagoda and team in the 1980s
Relationship to other species: closely related to the Vateria Flower
Rasbora (Rasboroides vaterifloris) and named for its similarity to the
beautiful flower of the sal (cannonball) tree
Difference to other species: Shape of its body because it has a black
margin on its fins
Striking quality: Iridescent orange-red to copper-red upper part of the
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Conservation methods
Steps the public can take to protect these critically endangered
freshwater fish:
*Stop polluting the water with soap and shampoo when you bathe and
don’t destroy the environment with polythene, plastic bottles and
garbage when you go on trips
*Locals including school children should be aware and should protect
endemic and endangered species that live in their area to prevent
visitors from destroying them
*Public and private companies should rally together to fund and
channel awareness and cleanliness programs to help in nature
conservation
*More eco-friendly notices and signboards should be put up at these
places to stop nature destruction and educate the public at the site
*Do not collect these fish for ornamental purposes as they do not
thrive well in enclosed areas of entrapment
*Grow more shady trees as many of these freshwater fish thrive in
shady foliage where they can feed and breed
*If you see people destroying the environment, make sure you inform
them and if things get out of hand, call the police because the area
needs to be conserved.
*Remember - extinct means gone forever!
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