A species of threatened fish has managed to survive massive habitat loss, according to RNZ.
Auckland researchers have been looking for the black mudfish for over a decade without any luck. Huge deterioration of wetlands has dramatically reduced the opportunity for the species to thrive.
However, the recent finding of secluded pockets of the fish has allowed for rehabilitation efforts to kick in.
"We've been looking since 2014, spreading the net as it were to other areas... mudfish have really specific requirements in terms of habitat so not every wetland is going to hold habitat useful to mudfish but finding them has proven harder than we expected," said regional freshwater advisor Matt Bloxham, per RNZ. "It was this year that we found two new populations so it's been quite an amazing year for us."
The black mudfish exists in shallow pools that routinely evaporate. When this happens, they burrow underground to hibernate, absorbing oxygen through a mucous layer on its skin.
Besides the ecosystem services they provide, such as pest control, black mudfish also hold significant cultural value for New Zealand's indigenous Māori, who have historically relied on hunting the fish.
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One challenge is finding a new home for black mudfish. As droughts drag on in New Zealand, suitable habitat for them has become more and more scarce. Experts say only 10% of the country's original wetlands remain intact.
Until then, conservationists have managed to move black mudfish to the Auckland Zoo for a breeding program.
"So we're 350 fish later and we've run out of room so we've actually stopped active breeding and now we're just sort of gearing up and looking for places to release them back to the wild," said program manager Don McFarlane, per RNZ.
"The idea was to basically create tiny wetlands a really naturalistic habitat step back and try and let the fish do their thing and then we more step in with looking after the eggs and raising the fry so that's the trickier bit."
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