HONG KONG: Three species of a fish found in streams in Wet Tropics rainforests are now listed as vulnerable, with another critically endangered, a Far North Queensland scientist says.
Dr Brendan Ebner, from the CSIRO, said habitat loss was the biggest threat, particularly for the critically endangered opal cling goby.
Three of its relatives — the birdsong cling goby, the emerald cling goby and the rutilaureus cling goby — were last week listed as vulnerable in the lead-up to today’s National Threatened Species Day.
“They’re a stunning thing and we’d be hoping in time that they become a little bit of a focal species for the Wet Tropics region, that we can sort of rally behind in terms of making sure that we’re using our rivers and streams in a sustainable way,” he said.
Opal cling gobies are one of a group of 10 cling goby species found in the region.
Dr Ebner said making the critically endangered opal cling goby an iconic animal in the region would help ensure its survival.He said all of the fish were dependent on the protection of small rainforest streams that lead to the Coral Sea.
“They spend pretty much their whole life in the stream where they grow and live most of their life,” he said.
“Then the male starts to turn on some really beautiful colours and attracts a female in.
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