Back in 1988, a rare freshwater carp was discovered in an abandoned uranium mine in Australia. 20 years later, this fish has become the focus of a new breeding program, Seriouslyfish reports. The rare Australian fish is called Barraway’s carp gudgeon and it was first found in the Sleisbeck mine pit which is located in the Kakadu National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Ornamental fish breeders are now trying to spawn this fish in captivity, hoping it will turn into an appreciated aquarium fish in Australia as well as in other parts of the world. According to Dr Helen Larson curator of fishes at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, aquarists could help protect the species since captive bred specimens can serve as a reservoir if anything happens to the native habitat of a fish. (Dr Helen Larson is the scientist responsible for describing the Barraway’s carp gudgeon and giving it a scientific name.)

Barraway’s carp gudgeon (Hypseleotris barrawayi) is an egg-laying species that produce really small larvae and these larvae need to be subjected to a certain type of movement to trigger feeding. It has been successfully bred in aquaria, but up until now there have been no coordinated efforts to breed the fish for the aquarium market. The aim of the newly launched breeding program is not only to help preserve the species and introduce a new fish to the aquarium hobby; the project also hopes to provide native communities in the region with a source of income.

If you want to find out more, go to Seriouslyfish. http://www.seriouslyfish.com/news.php?id=21