London Zoo seeks female mate for near-extinct fish
The London Zoo is urgently seeking a female mate for the last-known males of a critically endangered fish species.
Zoo officials say the Mangarahara cichlid is thought to be extinct in the wild and that two of the last known individuals—both male—are in the zoo's aquarium. A third is in the Berlin zoo.
Officials say the species' habitat in Madagascar has dried up due to dam construction.
The zoo on Friday asked aquarium owners and fish collectors to come forward it they know of any living females "so that a vital conservation breeding program can be started."
Officials say a worldwide search of zoo and aquarium organizations has so far proved fruitless.
Citation:
London Zoo seeks female mate for near-extinct fish (2013, May 10)
retrieved 7 May 2024
from https://phys.org/news/2013-05-london-zoo-female-near-extinct-fish.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.