Endangered fish removed from Andalucian waters for breeding

A HANDFUL of tiny fish on the verge of extinction have been removed from Andalucian waters in an attempt to boost their numbers.

The 300 fartets and 40 freshwater blennies were taken from pools in Almeria and the Rio Verde river, Malaga, and will be bred at a farm in Cordoba.

Their offspring will later be released back into rivers and wetlands throughout Andalucia.

Fartets, which are less than two inches long when fully grown, are only found in Spain and north Africa and are officially in danger of extinction.

They need very pure water to survive and are in serious decline due to a loss of habitat.

Freshwater blennies live on riverbeds of the Mediterranean and Africa – but there are currently just four colonies known in Andalucia.