PRETORIA – The National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria has successfully bred the orange-fringed river bream in captivity as part of a programme to save the critically endangered freshwater fish from extinction.

This facility of the South African National Biodiversity Institute marked Endangered Species Day on Friday 15 May with the announcement of healthy fry nurtured under intensive care after successful female mouthbrooding procedures.

The orange-fringed river bream, Chetia brevis, also known as the orange-fringed largemouth, is native to the Incomati-Lomati river system in Mpumalanga and the Hhohho province in Eswatini.

A reassessment in 2026 classified the species as critically endangered on the global International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, following its previous classification as endangered in 2016. Population declines have been linked to invasive alien species and pollution.

Conservation partnership

SANBI-National Zoological Gardens and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) have collaborated on the conservation breeding programme at the zoo’s aquarium facility.

The programme aims to create sustainable, captive-bred populations that act as a backup for wild populations. The zoo plans to harvest fish for stocking in predator-free protected environments to maintain genetic diversity and improve populations.

The initiative aligns with Global Species Action Plan Target 4, which seeks to prevent human-induced extinctions and recover threatened species by 2030.

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SANBI-National Zoological Gardens has previously led South Africa’s freshwater fish assessment in collaboration with SAIAB and freshwater fish conservation practitioners from research institutions and provincial conservation agencies.

Species characteristics

The orange-fringed river bream grows to approximately 15 cm in length. Despite its “largemouth” classification, the specialised predator feeds on aquatic invertebrates and small fish, regulating their populations in natural ecosystems.

The zoo hosts public education and awareness campaigns and environmental calendar events to support sustainability and animal conservation efforts.

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