London: The London Zoo has launched a worldwide hunt for a female mate for a `gorgeously ugly` tropical fish which is on the brink of extinction.
"The Mangarahara cichlid is shockingly and devastatingly facing extinction, its wild habitat no longer exists and as far as we can tell, only three males remain of this entire species," ZSL London Zoo`s Brian Zimmerman said.
"It might be too late for their wild counterparts, but if we can find a female, it`s not too late for the species. Here at ZSL London Zoo we have two healthy males, as well as the facilities and expertise to make a real difference.
"We are urgently appealing to anyone who owns or knows someone who may own these critically endangered fish, which are silver in colour with an orange-tipped tail, so that we can start a breeding programme here at the Zoo to bring them back from the brink of extinction," Zimmerman said.
PTI
