Survival without water: mysterious fish in Bolivia

A mysterious fish lives in Bolivia.

Named “Moema juanderibaensis,” the specimen was discovered by scientist Heinz Arno Drawert two decades ago in small pools in a forested area between the Chiquitanía and the Bolivian Amazon – but was only recently described.

The fish can survive for hours without being underwater.

The species belongs to the Rivulidae family of fishes adapted to ecosystems without water.

OUT OF THE WATER FOR UP TO THREE HOURS

“Moema juanderibaensis” live in temporary pools five centimeters deep.

When these disappear, they migrate to other bodies of water and move on land with jumps of 20 to 30 centimeters each, allowing them to cover three meters or more.

Another reason they come out of the water is for protection.

When Heinz Arno went to the area to take photos of the fish, he saw several falling from leaves 20 centimeters away from the puddles; he told Mongabay Latam.

Later, when he took some specimens home to observe them, he found they were doing the same thing.

“In the aquarium, specimens were observed sticking to the glass above the water surface for several hours or resting on floating leaves of aquatic plants, especially during high temperatures or stressors,” the document describing the fish said.

According to observations in the aquarium and their habitat, the explanation for this could be that they want to avoid aggression between fish of the same species, as they are very territorial, or even protect themselves from larger fish in their natural environment.

AN ENDANGERED SPECIES?

So far, these fish have only been observed in well-preserved forests.

The encroachment of agriculture and the destruction of the natural areas where they live could be considered a threat to this species.

The IUCN currently classifies the species as “Insufficient Data”, pending further studies on its distribution and population trends.

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