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The fight to save Rocky (the fish)
William Bendix
A rare fish species, found only in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, hovers on the brink of extinction with one dedicated scientist championing a drive to save it.
Bespectacled and enthusiastic Dr Jim Cambray, a curator at the Albany Museum in Grahamstown, is leading a campaign involving community participation to raise awareness about the plight of the Sandelia bainsii, or Eastern Cape Rocky as it is more commonly known.
The mottled gray fish with bulging eyes, which grows to approximately 27 centimeters in length, is categorized as critically endangered - the final step before extinction.
"Every endangered species needs a champion", grins the 55-year-old doctor, who describes the Eastern Cape Rocky as a 'red flag' for aquatic species conservation.
Named after the great Xhosa chief Sandile (Sandelia) from the area during the 19th Century and explorer - geologist Thomas Bain (bainsii), the greatest threat to the fish is a loss of habitat. Other pressures, such as alien fish and vegetation, excessive salt deposition and water obstruction are usually man-induced and also pose alarming dangers.
Cambray, who claims to be the first person to breed the fish in captivity, takes a pro-active approach to making people aware of the reality of extinction and the cost it has on biodiversity. He says that often scientists will produce many papers and reports, but with little action or follow through.
In his approach where action speaks louder than words, the doctor has written numerous articles on the endangered fish and launched a series of environmental education programmes involving school and conservation groups.
Under the banner of the 'Eastern Cape Rocky Conservation Project', the programmes aim to create awareness about the history, habits and importance of the fish species, while teaching people to take responsibility of the ecosystem that supports it.
"Research is important, but I don't leave it there. I put time into environmental education, environmental journalism and feedback into the management aspects of it (the project)", he says.
Through these efforts Cambray hopes to reach a wider community, especially by educating children.
The programmes, which have earned the support of sponsors such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Mazda Wildlife Trust, involve projects, slide shows and participation in events such as the National Sasol Science Festival (SASOL SciFest) hosted in Grahamstown. Regular visits to established sanctuaries are also part of the deal.
Cambray first observed the Eastern Cape Rocky in 1972 in rivers of the region. After returning twenty years later, he was startled to notice the absence of the fish in the same rivers.
He estimates that on his first observations, he would find twenty fish in just a small area of a river system. "I'll go down to the sanctuary now, and I'll be lucky to find a fish. And that's a sanctuary!" he adds.
The sanctuaries are isolated dams that are sealed off from other fish, such as the much larger and predatory alien Catfish species, with the aim of re-establishing Rocky populations. The first sanctuary was established three years ago, and now total three in the area.
As the name suggests, these aggressive fish prefer rocky habitats and display a bizarre mating ritual.
Cambray has spent many hours behind a video camera observing how the male will blow a large bubble to attract the female mate. What follows is a rough and slimy dance in which the male twists the female round with a specialized set of spiky scales that hook into the female.
By squeezing the female, the male forces her to release her eggs, which he fertilizes. The female is then unceremoniously chased away by the male who jealously guards the nest until the eggs hatch.
School groups are involved in stocking the sanctuaries and various private parties have promised Cambray more sites as future safe-havens for the fish. The determined Doctor says that although exact numbers are very difficult to acquire, he estimates the Rocky population has steadily dwindled over the years.
Speaking of the impact humans have on endangered species and comparing it to previous extinctions where it's theorized that comets destroyed most life on earth, Cambray warns: "We are the comets hitting the earth now. We are the extinction."
But with champions like Dr Cambray, species such as the Rocky may still have a fighting chance.
For more on the project visit: http://www.ru.ac.za/affiliates/am/wwf/wwf.htm
Fact sheet on the Eastern Cape Rocky: http://www.utexas.edu/depts/tnhc/.www/fish/dfc/africa/sbainsii.html
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