Red-finned blue-eye

Red-finned blue-eye
Conservation status

Critically Endangered  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Atheriniformes
Family: Pseudomugilidae
Genus: Scaturiginichthys
Ivantsoff, Unmack, Saeed & Crowley, 1991
Species: S. vermeilipinnis
Binomial name
Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis
Ivantsoff, Unmack, Saeed & Crowley, 1991

The red-finned blue-eye (Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis) is a species of fish in the Pseudomugilidae family. The species was discovered accidentally in 1990. It is endemic to Central Queensland in Australia, where the remaining population is restricted to four springs on Bush Heritage's Edgbaston Reserve. They are at risk from extinction, and are predated by the flourishing introduced eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). An intensive conservation programme has been developed to save the species.[1]

Conservation status

It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and as Endangered under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992. In September 2012, the species was placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature list of 100 most endangered species on the planet.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Bridie Smith, Hope springs eternal for besieged blue-eye,' at Sydney Morning Herald, June 9, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Queensland fish on world's most endangered list". Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). 11 September 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.