Endangered fish removed from Andalucian waters for breeding

A FEW hundred tiny fish on the verge of extinction were taken from Andalucian waters to be bred at a farm in a bid to boost their numbers.

The 300 Iberian killifish and 40 freshwater blennies were taken from pools in Almeria and the Rio Verde river and will be bred at a farm in Cordoba. Their offspring will later be released back into rivers and wetlands throughout Andalucia.

Fartets are less than two inches long when fully grown and need very pure water to survive. They are only found in Spain and north Africa and are officially in danger of extinction due to a loss of habitat.

Freshwater blennies live on riverbeds of the Mediterranean and Africa. Currently there are just four colonies known in Andalucia.