The Lisbon Boga fish is a freshwater fish found solely in Portugal and exclusively in central Portugal, near Lisbon, along the Tagus River.
Research carried out recently by the Centre for Sea and Environment Sciences (MARE) found that while a new Boga population has taken up residence in the Cabanas River, in Santarém, it is no longer found in another spot where it had been dwelling in previous years.
Research coordinator Filipe Ribeiro warned that this situation is “worrying.”
“I cannot say that the species is extinct, but the situation could be serious, in comparison to previous years. It is, in fact, one of Portugal’s most endangered species only four spots have been identified over the past ten years where the species has been found.”
Three distinct populations of the arched-mouth Lisbon Boga fish have previously been mapped, these being the Trancão River (Paul das Caniceiras), the Maior River (ribeira de Almoster) and the Muge River, along the south side of the Tagus River (Almeirim and Alpiarça).
“This year we found a new population in the Cabanas River in Santarém”, Filipe Ribeiro said, though explaining that the population in the Almoster River has now vanished.
Investigation into the Lisbon Boga fish received an award of around €10,000 from the Mohamed Bin Zayed Fund for Species Conservation.
The fish was only discovered this century and documented in 2007 although it is believed to be one of the oldest species of freshwater fish.
The work carried out by Filipe Ribeiro and his team allows the Institute for Forest and Nature Conservation (ICNF) and local councils to be informed about species existing in their areas.
Ribeiro warned that “intense human pressure and high levels of pollution from different sources, from humans, fishing and farming”, are affecting the Ribatejo area, and are exacerbated by “a certain ineffectiveness and lack of supervision in this region”.
Filipe Ribeiro’s team also comprises Ana Veríssimo (CIBIO – InBio), Hugo Gante (Basel University, Switzerland), David Santos (Maranhão University, Brazil) and Max Planck (Institute for Ornithology, Germany).