University of Leeds joins international efforts to protect critically endangered fish species

A collaborative effort to protect an entire eco-system in Bangka's peat swamps.

Dr Josie South, a researcher in the School of Biology, has joined forces with collaborators in Indonesia to safeguard the Betta burdigala. 

The species, endemic to Bangka, an island southeast of Sumatra, thrives in the unique and acidic waters of the region’s peat swamps.

However, its habitat is rapidly disappearing because of local palm oil plantations, tin mining and plastic waste pollution.

The project, which is a collaboration between SHOAL Conservation, Asian Species Action Partnership, Airlangga University, University of Leeds and local experts, involves two key components; a captive breeding programme aimed at boosting populations, and a fish sanctuary deep within the heart of Bangka’s peat swamp forests.

This initiative is doing more than protecting a single species—it’s preserving an entire ecosystem.

To date, the research team have collectively reintroduced 147 juveniles and located a prospective fish sanctuary site, as well as a site with further rehabilitation potential.

The team hope the sanctuary will also be a safe-haven for other vulnerable fish species, such as Parosphromenus deissneri and Kottelatlimia pristes.

Dr South has been guiding the assessment and ecological aspects of the fish sanctuary. This has involved monitoring the size and abundance of the fish in each location before and after reintroduction. 

A blackwater swamp specialist

Betta burdigala is a swamp specialist which is perfectly adapted to its environment.

Its labyrinth organ allows it to breathe air directly, a vital trait for surviving the low-oxygen conditions of flooded peatlands.

When caring for their young, males take gulps of air from the surface and blow out a bubble, which rests alongside hundreds of other bubbles, constructing a bubble nest where the fish guard their eggs and very small young.

In every breeding cycle, a single pair can produce up to 15 juveniles, which are raised until they are ready for reintroduction into the wild.

As part of the breeding programme, the team worked with skilled fish catchers to collect enough mature fish from the wild to maintain genetic diversity.

This ensured the reintroduced population has the resilience to thrive in its restored habitat.

A shared responsibility

This effort extends beyond science. It’s a collaboration with local communities and government to foster long-term sustainability. By raising awareness about the importance of these habitats and their unique inhabitants, the project ensures that conservation becomes a shared responsibility.

“The success of the Betta burdigala project indicates the capacity for real change from inclusive management involving higher education, hobbyists, government, conservation and fishers working together to preserve biodiversity,” added Dr South.