In 1998, the southern purple-spotted gudgeon was declared extinct.
Key points:
- The "zombie fish", or southern purple-spotted gudgeon, was declared extinct in 1998
- But in 2019, scientists discovered two of the species in the Kerang wetlands
- A colony of 66 of the native fish has since been discovered in the same area
But now, the so-called "zombie fish" has come back from the brink, if not the dead, and scientists are determined to stop the species from slipping through their fingers again.
Twenty years after the small, colourful fish was last seen in Victoria, two stragglers were found in Middle Reedy Lake at the Kerang wetlands, in the northern reaches of the state.
A taskforce of scientists and researchers was immediately set up and, like detectives, they set about methodically searching the wetlands for other members of the delicate species.
Two years on, they have announced that they have found another 66 of the "mysterious" fish living in a colony in dense reeds.
Supplied: Doug Gimesy
)"They're very cryptic and where they like to hang out is in a fairly specialised habitat," said Peter Rose, of the North Central Catchment Management Authority.
Supplied: Doug Gimesy
)Vital to wetland biodiversity
The southern purple-spotted gudgeon only grows to between 8cm and 10cm — the perfect size for waterbirds who eat small native fish as a staple of their diets.
"A bunch of these wetland specialist fish have gone missing from wetland habitats and they would have been, historically, a really important food source for waterbirds," Mr Rose said.
Supplied: Doug Gimesy
)Decline due to mix of factors
In a statement, Adrian Martins from Victoria's Environment, Land, Water and Planning Department, said the team was aiming to establish populations in other parts of the state and the Murray Darling Basin.
“This is a really incredible and exciting find," he said.
Mr Martins told the ABC that several of these factors had most likely combined to cause the fish population to decline in the first place.
"There's been degradation from introduced fish, like redfin and mosquitofish — they can pick at the fins of native fish," he said.
Poor water quality and regulation of water bodies that changed the makeup of vegetation in the wetland areas could also have contributed to the decline in native fish numbers.
Supplied: Doug Gimesy
)Breeding an 'insurance population'
Scientists will now take on the delicate task of transporting the "zombie fish" to expert small-bodied fish breeders.
"We collect the brood stock and send them to breeders and from there, we are looking to set up surrogate habitats — high-quality farm dams and wetlands with good habitats," Mr Rose said.
"The focus will be on protecting the population in the Kerang Lakes area, as well as expanding them and getting them back to where they would have been in the Murray corridor."
Mr Martins said the discovery had given researchers hope of locating other species that were thought to be extinct.
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