blind cave fish??

[aernympha]

are there any other cave fish like blind cave fish

 

[Lateral Line]

If you mean blind fish, then I have a great deal of experience with Caecobarbus geertsi - I have seen it called the "Congo Blind Barb", but it is so rare that a common name is rather pointless! It is on the IUCN's Red List of endangered species.

In 1992/93, I was one of four people in England, 12 in Germany and 5 in, (what was then), Czechoslovakia that took part in the species maintenance/captive breeding program for the species. The UK operation was run by Reading University.

I was given 4 genetically diverse pairs, and my "job" basically was to keep them alive and breed genetically diverse youngsters. From my four pairs, I raised to adulthood over 200 for distribution amongst the other participants.

Keeping the fish was relatively easy. Breeding was not that hard. Doing all the paper work to document the genetics of the young, maintaining the MAFF and CITES licences and the general administrative stuff was almost impossible!

 

[aernympha]

kool , thats great work, nice to here that u saved a species of fishies , that sumthing u don't do every day well done LL

 

[Lateral Line]

As I said, the fish were very easy to look after, and not really difficult to breed. The problem was they look kind of weird, i.e. white, with transparent opeculae and no eyes. Hobbyists didn't like them, and since they were of no use, their habitat was substantially destroyed.

Knowing where you live, (muhahahahahahah!!!!!), the Life Sciences Dept. at Reading University often have little projects where they delve out a few fish that they haven't room for to local aquarists to hold and look after, (or at least they did when I lived there). Most are not Red List species, (there are special licences you need and you have to accept there will be random inspections by all manner of interested bodies), but are still well worth taking part in, I was involved in dozens of other projects, but the geertsi was a particular coup as I was one of the few people they could find in the country that actively sought out African Barbs for breeding.

Keep an eye out for other projects, once you've got an "in" there, you'd be suprised what you can get involved in.

I see you keep mostly livebearers - there are several livebeareres that are extinct in the wild but kept alive by careful breeders. If you are a good breeder, i.e., not one that can just turn out dozens of fry, but one who can cross THIS male with THAT female and keep all of the records, i.e. the genetic makeup of your fish, then you could try for involvement there as well.

 

[aernympha]

that would be very fun ...but aren't i to young..also i don't really know much about gentic jus the very basics lol and also where woul di get these specail species from... but great idea i would of liked to done something like that

 

[Inchworm]

.....Hobbyists didn't like them, and since they were of no use, their habitat was substantially destroyed....

Since when is usefulness necessary for having a habitat? I know some humans that............................well, better not go there!

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But seriously, Lateral Line, your experience is very impressive! How fine it must be to be able to do something really worthwhile with what, for most of us, is just a hobby. Congradulations