Bristol Zoo Project has launched a global search to find a match for a critically endangered Cameroon cichlid.
The Konia eisentrauti cichlid is found in only one place on the planet – Lake Barombi Mbo in Cameroon, where it is threatened by habitat loss and deforestation.
Bristol Zoological Society cares for five of Lake Barombi Mbo’s 11 critically endangered cichlid species as part of its conservation breeding programme.
However, the zoo has found that its Konia eisentrauti cichlid is the only known individual of the species recorded in accredited collections worldwide.
Bristol Zoo Project's cichlids can be seen in the crocodile house in the new African Forest habitat
It is appealing to zoos, aquariums and specialist fish keepers to identify other individuals of the same species in order to establish a breeding programme.
"You could say this fish is lost in the crowd. It lives alongside other threatened cichlids, but none of them are its own species," said Brian Zimmerman, director of conservation and science at Bristol Zoological Society.
"Somewhere in the world, another individual could be swimming in a zoo, aquarium or specialist collection, waiting to be recognised."
He added: "Every successful conservation breeding programme starts with bringing the right breeding partners together. Finding even a handful more fish could be the first step towards building a safety population and giving this species a future."
Cichlid species at Bristol Zoo Project
Per a press release, every cichlid species in Lake Barombi Mbo is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Bristol Zoo Project's cichlids can be seen in the crocodile house in the African Forest habitat, where they live alongside a critically endangered slender-snouted crocodile.
Zoos, aquariums or specialists that may have the Konia eisentrauti cichlid in their collections can contact Bristol Zoological Society at cichlidsearch@bzsociety.org.uk.
Images courtesy of Bristol Zoological Society
