The Redfin Blue Eye (Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis) is a freshwater fish in the small (approximately 18 species) family Pseudomugilidae, the Blue Eyes, all of which are endemic to Australia, Papua New Guinea and neighboring islands. The Redfin Blue Eye was discovered in 1990, as the only member of the genus Scaturiginichthys and the smallest freshwater fish endemic to Australia, at a total length of 3 cm.Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis is found only in 5-6 shallow spring pools that are part of a unique wetland comprised of an ancient and isolated complex of 40+ interconnected artesian springs vegetated by tussock grasses and sedges in Edgbaston Reserve, formerly a cattle station in central western Queensland.The springs are surrounded by arid desert, and because the temperature of these shallow pools fluctuates between 0-40 degrees Centigrade over the course of a day, these fish have evolved the ability to withstand impressive temperature extremes.
Since they were discovered in 1990, the population of Redfin Blue Eyes is thought to have declined considerably, and they have become extinct in several of the springs they once inhabited.They are at risk of competition and predation from the far more aggressive invasive mosquito fish Gambusia holbrooki, which was introduced to Australia in 1930s-40s to control malaria-bearing mosquitos.They are also threatened by trampling and habitat destruction from agricultural and feral animals, and by water shortage due to human use and diversion of the Great Artesian Basin, the water source water for this spring system. Their population size is unknown exactly, but thought to number between 2000-4000 individuals.The IUCN declared this species critically endangered in 1996, and one of the 100 Most Endangered of the world’s species in a 2012 report in conjunction with the Zoological Society of London. Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis was also listed as endangered on the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA Qld) and on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Efforts to protect Redfin Blue Eyes and their habitat are ongoing; the non-profit conservation organization Bush Heritage Australia recently acquired and now oversees the part of this spring complex part that encompasses Edgbaston Reserve.Conservationists are working to restore the land and control Gambusia, feral pigs, and other destructive animals with a near-term goal of increasing the numbers and range of S. vermeilipinnis through re-introductions, but lack funding for this endeavor.
(Bray and Thompson 2011; Baillie and Butcher 2012; Wagner 1996)
The red-finned blue-eye (Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis) is a tiny, critically endangered species of fish in the family Pseudomugilidae. It is the only species in its genus.[2] The species was first recorded in 1990.[3] It is endemic to central Queensland in Australia, where it is restricted to springs in Bush Heritage's Edgbaston Reserve.
The fish reaches up to 3 cm (1 in) in length,[3] and only males have red fins.[4]
The fish only live in shallow, slightly salty water in Edgbaston Reserve, which is owned by Bush Heritage Australia. The water in the springs can vary from near freezing in the winter to 40 °C (104 °F) in the summer.[4]
It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and as Endangered under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992. In September 2012, the species was placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature list of 100 most endangered species on the planet.[5] It was originally found in seven springs in its small range in the Edgbaston Reserve, but by 2012 only survived in three of these, although another three translocated populations existed in the reserve.[4] By 2021 were only found in one spring.[3]
They are at risk from extinction due to competition and predation by the flourishing introduced eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), water extraction and habitat loss.[1] Gambusia is a huge threat as an invasive species, which is out-competing many species in Australia.[3]
An intensive conservation programme has been developed to save the species.[4] The Edgbaston goby (Chlamydogobius squamigenus), 11 snail species, a small crustacean, a flatworm, a spider and a dragonfly are restricted to springs in the same reserve and also threatened.[6]
In February 2021, captive-bred fish were released into the wild spring, boosting the population from about 200 to approximately 3,000.[3]
It has been hypothetically posed that the red-finned blue-eye eats the seeds of an endangered species of the eriocaulon (pipewort), which is part of the plant's life cycle, and up to 11 species of endemic snail may potentially rely on this plant as a food source.[3] Whether the fish actually acts in this way to help maintain the spring ecosystem is unknown but it is not worth the risk to lose the species in case it plays such an ecologically important role in the spring ecosystem. [3]
The red-finned blue-eye (Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis) is a tiny, critically endangered species of fish in the family Pseudomugilidae. It is the only species in its genus. The species was first recorded in 1990. It is endemic to central Queensland in Australia, where it is restricted to springs in Bush Heritage's Edgbaston Reserve.
