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Red-finned Blue-eye (Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 14259217

Saving the Red-finned Blue Eye fish

Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation (Project No. 14259217) - Red-finned Blue-eye - Awarded $15,000 on October 20, 2014

The world's only population of the tiny fish exists in an isolated group of springs fed by ‘dinosaur water' from the Great Artesian Basin on Bush Heritage's Edgbaston Reserve, 30 km north-east of the town of Aramac, Queensland. Bush Heritage has owned and managed the reserve since 2008 to protect the inland spring system and the red-finned blue-eye.

With the support of the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Bush Heritage is working to ensure the survival of the Red-finned Blue-eye in the wild by protecting existing Red-finned Blue-eye populations and habitat, removing threats and creating new habitat, and establishing a captive population for ex-situ breeding as an insurance population.

The biggest threat to the survival of the red-finned blue-eye is gambusia (mosquito fish), which is listed by the IUCN as one of the world's most invasive species, and competes with the red-finned blue-eye in the Artesian-fed springs. To increase the available habitat for the Red-finned Blue-eye Bush Heritage is removing gambusia from selected springs (requiring physical and chemical treatment of springs) and ensuring all current wild populations are maintained by quarantining springs from gambusia invasion through erection and maintenance of barriers.

A new captive breeding program has been established with our partner SEA LIFE Mooloolaba, this is an important measure to ensure that there is an insurance population located away from Edgbaston Reserve. If successful the captive breeding program will allow us to supplement wild populations on Edgbaston Reserve. As guardians of this species' only known habitat, Bush Heritage is committed to ensuring the red-finned blue-eye have every chance to thrive in their natural habitat.

Bush Heritage Australia is a national non-profit organisation that protects Australia’s unique animals, plants and their habitats. We do this by acquiring and managing land of outstanding conservation value, or by working in partnership with other landowners.

 



Project 14259217 location - Australia, Oceania