Scleromystax CW038: Trident Cory

This fish has no formal scientific name yet - it was collected from coastal drainages in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, one of the most threatened biomes on earth.¹ As little as 12% of the original forest cover remains,^2,3 and the small, clear streams these fish depend on are among the first casualties of agricultural expansion and development. An undescribed species in a collapsing habitat is a species that could disappear before science catches up.

The fish you're looking at were bred here in Eugene, Oregon - not collected from the wild. Building a captive population now means there's something to fall back on regardless of what happens to the habitat.

1. WWF. The Atlantic Forest. World Wildlife Fund.

2. The Nature Conservancy. Atlantic Forest.

3. Ribeiro et al. (2009). The Brazilian Atlantic Forest: How much is left? Biological Conservation, 142(6).