ANGFA (Australian New Guinea Fishes Association) has started a crowd funding project to conserve the Running River Rainbowfish.
This is a population of the Burdekin Rainbowfish that is about to disappear due to interbreeding with another introduced rainbowfish which will result in the loss of the wild pure population. With golden to green bodies, bright red fins and distinctive black zig-zag lines on their flanks, aquarists have long recognized the Running River rainbowfish as a distinct population of a unique undescribed species found only in the Burdekin River of northern Queensland.
ANGFA’s initial goal is to establish a captive breeding population for the Running River Rainbowfish.
The funding will be used to conduct genetic testing on wild and pre-existing captive Running River Rainbowfish to examine levels of genetic diversity and ensure only pure fish are included in the captive population. This will ensure that each captive population we establish has a good mix of genes that best represents the original wild population. These captive populations will be provided to large scale ornamental aquaculturists to make them more available and secure in the aquarium hobby.
If you are interested in donating, you can find more information at Running River Rainbowfish Fund. You can also find more detailed information about Running River Rainbowfish and the proposed research by downloading the information sheet.
Any donations no matter how small will go a long way to helping. The funds website can only take credit cards, but please contact Peter Unmack via email (peter.unmack@canberra.edu.au) if you would like to make a donation by other means than credit card.
Thanks
Peter Unmack