Endangered glassfish rescued from drying lake in the back of a ute

February 6, 2024 8:56 PM

More than 300 endangered glassfish (olive perchlet) have been rescued from a drying lake and transferred to a nearby landholder's dam in the back of a ute (a ute is a vehicle with an open cargo area at the rear, what the US would call a pickup truck). The olive perchlet, commonly known as glassfish, is a small endangered species that was once found throughout the east coast of Australia. Only isolated pockets remain now. It is considered one of the rarest fish in the Murray-Darling Basin, with the only other population in NSW previously believed to have been in Lake Brewster near Hillston.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (3 comments total)

That's Ambassis agassizii. It's not enough to yeet ute them to another water body; they also need to keep that place free from invasive predators.
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:01 AM on February 7 [1 favorite]

Judge Fred Gwynne: “What’s a ‘ute’??”
posted by chronkite at 6:41 AM on February 7 [3 favorites]

Judge Fred Gwynne: “What’s a ‘ute’??”

I recognize and appreciate this joke.

Also, I've gotten too used to Australian fauna/flora posts where something thought extinct or exterminated have reappeared, so bummer to hear about the struggles of the little glass fish.
posted by Atreides at 7:55 AM on February 7 [2 favorites]