El Pez Graso – The Greasefish (film)

Eremophilus mutisii

Our partners have produced a new film about the Search for the Fat Catfish.

Dive into Lake Tota on the Search for the Fat Catfish

Colombia’s fat catfish is one of freshwater’s great mysteries. Not seen since 1957, there are more layers of intrigue surrounding this creature than it has rings of fatty tissue – i.e. a LOT!

Firstly, nobody knows why it has that strange physiology: why is it fat? Could it be from overeating? Or a way to stay warm in the cold mountain waters of Colombia’s Páramo? It could be something else entirely, but with only 10 preserved specimens in the world, and no live sightings of the species for more than 70 years, it is incredibly challenging to know.

And what happened to the species? It was allegedly once so common that people living near Lake Tota used the grease from the fish to light their homes. Yet the species seems to have disappeared without trace. Nobody knows why. Through SHOAL’s Search for the Fat Catfish with partners from Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos at Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad De Los Andes, and Re:wild, we attempt to find answers to some of these questions. Using eDNA metabarcoding and more traditional search techniques, our partners are working to put pieces of the puzzle together and give us some clues about the fat catfish.

 

Carlos Lasso and the dive team

Dr. Carlos Lasso and the dive team © Carlos Lasso.

Lake Tota

Lake Tota © Ictiología y Cultura.

Diving at the depths of Lake Tota.

Diving deep in Lake Tota © Carlos Lasso.

We can bring the Denison’s barb back from the brink (film)

Photograph of a shoal of Denison’s barb fish in freshwater.
Watch our film to see how together we can stop the Denison's barb from going extinct in the wild.

Meet the Denison’s barb

The Denison’s barb is one of the world’s most popular home aquarium fish, and can be found in living rooms from California to Kolkata.

Their striking colours and peaceful nature have put them in high demand for both beginners and expert fishkeepers. But it’s not their popularity that has led to wild populations becoming endangered.

What threats are they facing?

Sand-mining and pollution are causing damage to the fish’s habitat in India’s Western Ghats. The species’ home is under threat.

If we don’t take urgent action to protect and restore the damaged areas, this striking fish could go extinct in the wild in just a few years.

We need your help.

Illustration of damage to the Denison’s barb’s freshwater habitat in the Western Ghats, India.
Credit: Usha Ravindra

What can we do to help?

With your support, SHOAL and our partners Zoo Outreach, can help bring the Denison’s barb back from the brink.

We can raise awareness with the public and government officials in India
We can train staff in five airports to recognise the species and monitor the number of fishes leaving for export
We can protect the most crucial habitats, providing security, not just for the barb, but for the many other rare and threatened fishes that live in the area

Together we can make a difference.

Every single donation will help give the species a better shot at survival. Donate today at shoalconservation.org.

This film has been created for our Save Denise’s Friends campaign, in support of the Denison’s barb. The campaign is part of SOS: Support Our SHOAL, an innovative approach to freshwater conservation led in partnership with the aquarium hobby and guidance from OATA and Practical Fishkeeping.

SOS: Support our SHOAL empowers individuals and businesses from the aquarist community who want to know how they can help ensure the futures of the species they love. We have loads of resources on our website for everyone from aquarium shops to hobbyists.