'Extinct' Mexican Fish Tequila Splitfin Successfully Reintroduced to Its Native River After Being Bred in U.K. Zoo

By Mary Webber First Posted: Jan 02, 2022 09:42 PM EST

A Mexican fish called tequila splitfin was reintroduced to its native Mexico after being bred in an aquarium at Chester Zoo in the U.K.

The tequila splitfin, which grows to not bigger than 70 millimeters long, disappeared from the wild in 2003 due to the introduction of invasive, exotic fish species, as well as water pollution, according to The Guardian.

The Mexican fish was named after the Tequila volcano and was discovered in 1990 in the Teuchitlán River in Jalisco, south-west Mexico.

Tequila Splitfin Returns to a River in Mexico

The Chester zoo and the Michoacana University of Mexico have joined forces to return more than 1,500 fish to the river in Mexico. The project was cited as an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) case study for successful reintroductions.

Michoacana University of Mexico Professor Omar Dominguez said it was the first time an extinct species of fish has ever been successfully reintroduced in Mexico.

Dominguez noted that the feat sets an example for conservation while being a significant precedent in the future for many fish species that are threatened or extinct in the wild.

Experts said the successful reintroductions of the tequila splitfin could open reintroductions of other endangered species. Another rescue mission of the golden skiffia is now underway.

Reintroduction of Mexican Fish Tequila Splitfin

At the start of the project in 1998, the university's aquatic biology unit received five pairs of fish from Chester Zoo.

The fish started reproducing in aquariums, and within several years, Dominguez and his colleagues gambled on reintroducing them to the Teuchitlán River.

Dominguez noted that many told them it was impossible, adding that they thought the species would die if they returned it to the river, Independent reported.

The team responsible for the reintroduction of the Mexican fish received a deaf ear from the start of the project. But after the population increased to 10,000 fish, it guaranteed funding, not only from the Chester Zoo but also a dozen organizations from Europe, the U.S., and the United Arab Emirates.

Some residents gave the fish a nickname "Zoogy" and made caricatures and formed the "River Guardians," a group composed mostly of children. The group collects garbage, cleans the river, and removes invasive plants.

Dominguez noted that there was no previous data to determine if the water quality had improved. However, he said the entire ecosystem has improved, with the river cleaner and fewer non-native species. Cattle are no longer permitted to drink in some areas, as well.

According to ABC News, some successful examples of the reintroduction into the nature of species were Przewalski's horse and the Arabian oryx.

Gerardo Garcia, the zoo's curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates, said it is an important example of species conservation.

The tequila splitfin is a small freshwater with slightly larger females than males. According to Blue Planet Aquarium fact sheet, a series of unsuccessful searches caused them to be reported as "extinct in the wild" in 1998.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Tequila Fish Reintroduced Successfully (Mexico/(UK)) - BBC News - 29th December 2021 - From Mark 1333