Damba defies extinction threat as aquarium keeps struggling species alive

A FRESHWATER fish, thought to be extinct in the wild, has been successfully bred at the Blue Planet Aquarium.

The pinstripe damba was only identified by scientists in the 1990s and was believed to exist in only one location in Madagascar.

But, due to a combination of over-fishing, habitat loss and competition from introduced species, it was officially declared extinct in the wild in 2004.

However, in 2006, a remnant population was discovered by scientists in a second nearby lake and captive breeding programmes – like the one at Blue Planet – are helping to keep the species alive.

Blue Planet Aquarium’s freshwater specialist Jenny Bird said: “It’s fantastic news that this incredibly rare fish has bred successfully here at the aquarium for the very first time.

“It’s a strange, and humbling, experience to realise just how close to extinction this species is.

“The hope would be that captive-bred individuals like these could be re-introduced into protected lakes in the wild once conditions were right.”