February 2025: Mangarahara cichlid, Ptychochromis insolitus
The Mangarahara cichlid or joba mena, Ptychochromis insolitus, is endemic to the Sofia River catchment of Madagascar. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered by IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ due to its small range, declining population, and threats from loss of habitat and loss of water caused by upstream dams. The species received global attention in 2013 when London Zoo launched a global search for a girlfriend for their two male fishes in a bid to start a conservation breeding programme. Captive populations have since significantly increased, and captive bred individuals can now be found in 23 institutions globally. This is particularly important as the situation in the wild has further declined. In 2013, a survey of the Amboaboa river near Marotandrano found a small population of the Mangarahara cichlid, however, a survey of the same river in 2024 found no evidence of the species.