Conservation Breeding

You can currently participate in two of our programs: for fish and for snails. Information about both can be found below. We are still preparing for other groups of animals (shrimps, crabs) – but if you are interested in being there from the beginning, do not hesitate to contact us.

If you don't know exactly what conservation breeding in aquariums is, read this article first. In short, it is a network of breeders who selflessly cooperate with the aim of maintaining viable insurance populations of endangered species in aquariums.

Conservation breeding of Sulawesi fish

Four different groups of Sulawesi endemic fish are kept in aquariums:

  • Telmatherinidae (sailfin silversides)
  • Adrianichthyidae (ricefishes)
  • Zenarchopteridae (viviparous halfbeaks)
  • Gobiidae (gobies)

For the first three groups, the goal of our conservation breeding program is to monitor their aquarium populations and build a network of breeders who work together to maintain healthy populations over the long term. The following species / populations are currently managed under the program (and we are looking for more):

  • Oryzias nigrimas
  • Oryzias loxolepis
  • Oryzias eversi
  • Oryzias sarasinorum
  • Oryzias eversi eggs
  • Nomorhamphus cf. ebrardtii "Balambano"
  • Oryzias asinua
  • Oryzias celebensis
  • Oryzias matanensis
Program members:
Ostrava Zoo (CZ), Pilsen Zoo (CZ), Wrocław Zoo (PL), Kristýna Bendová (CZ), Radim Bulawa (CZ), Gunnar Loibl (DE), Andreas Wagnitz (DE), Benjamin (DE)

Breeder’s challenge: gobies

Gobies (Gobiidae) from the lakes of Sulawesi have never been bred under aquarium conditions. Some species spawn easily, but rearing the tiny larvae is extremely difficult and even experienced goby breeders have not yet succeeded. These species are endangered and the fact that we are unable to breed them in aquariums and maintain an insurance population ex situ (out of reach of invasive fish) is worrying. So we are not discouraging you from obtaining them, but the following considerations are crucial:
  • these are fish for serious breeders, not “an interesting addition to your aquarium”
  • accept that all individuals available in the trade come from the wild
  • before buying fish, study their requirements and all available information
  • make sure you get both sexes
  • keep them in a species tank or in a setup where they would not be disturbed by other fish inhabiting the same zone and which would allow them to behave naturally
  • replicate the conditions in their natural environment (especially high temperatures)
  • start serious work with the culture of various microorganisms (potential prey for larvae)
  • carefully document your breeding attempts
  • connect with other breeders and exchange experiences, consult your progress and share details of what you tried and how it worked (negative experience is also worth sharing)
  • this is not a competition between breeders; this is a race against time to give the Sulawesi gobies a chance to survive at least in aquariums should the conditions in their lakes deteriorate (and this is gradually happening)
If you are ready to join our gobies task force, here's a list of species available (albeit rarely) in the trade:
  • Glossogobius flavipinnis NT
  • Mugilogobius adeia EN
  • Mugilogobius hitam NT
  • Mugilogobius latifrons EN
  • Mugilogobius rexi NT
  • Mugilogobius sarasinorum EN

We are currently actively working with the Mugilogobius adeia and Mugilogobius sarasinorum species. If you are keeping any Sulawesi goby yourself, please contact us! We can help each other.

  • Mugilogobius sarasinorum – male with eggs
  • Mugilogobius sarasinorum – larva with infusoria
  • Mugilogobius sarasinorum – larva D1

A complete overview of endemic freshwater fish of Sulawesi (including those not commercially available or not yet managed in our program) can be found here.

If you are interested in joining the program, you can find information about the guidelines and the application form here.

The contact email of Conservation breeding program for Sulawesi fish is fish@sulawesikeepers.org.

Conservation breeding of Sulawesi snails

The Conservation breeding program for Sulawesi snails aims to establish and maintain in the long-term thriving populations of endangered species in aquariums. Many endemic snail species from Sulawesi lakes and rivers are endangered in the wild and their situation is rapidly deteriorating; aquarium populations therefore serve as an insurance to prevent the species from becoming completely extinct.

Because some Sulawesi snails are very attractive and easily available, they end up in the hands of the general public. However, their availability and popularity are far from being matched by the general level of knowledge and care. Thousands of snails end up in unsuitable conditions every year and die within a few months. At the same time, few people realize that most species of Sulawesi snails are not kept in aquariums at all. In contrast to this is the fact that Sulawesi lakes are a unique and beautiful place and in recent years they have faced an invasion of non-native species and a significant deterioration in conditions, which leads to a rapid decrease in suitable habitats not only for snails. Endemic invertebrates are on the verge of extinction. Learning to keep them in aquariums, i.e. understanding the natural conditions and needs of these animals, is therefore a very important and urgent goal of Sulawesi Keepers and we invite all serious breeders to join us in this effort.

The goals of the program are:
  1. To help aquarists understand what animals they are keeping and how to handle them.
  2. By sharing information, contribute to improving the quality of life and longevity of snails in aquariums.
  3. Build strong insurance populations of endangered species.
  4. Link breeding in aquariums (ex situ conservation) with the protection of species directly in their natural habitat (in situ conservation).
The following steps will be taken to achieve the goals, among others:
  • creation of materials for species identification
  • providing basic guidelines for keeping available species
  • sharing knowledge about the life of snails in their natural environment
  • dissemination of these materials through various communication channels
  • publication of a comprehensive husbandry manual for Sulawesi snails and its subsequent updates
  • building a network of cooperating breeders
  • approaching zoos, research and other institutions
  • supporting the gradual transition of program members to more demanding, endangered species
  • collecting ideas for research in the aquarium and in nature and focused work on them
  • support of in situ partners for monitoring, research and conservation of habitats in Sulawesi

Examples of Sulawesi snails in the program:

  • Tylomelania sp. "Poso 2 – Yellow"
    • the most accessible and least demanding snail species from Sulawesi; a yet scientifically undescribed endemic of Lake Poso
  • Tylomelania patriarchalis
    • the largest of imported species, very attractive and previously often kept; a relatively undemanding snail, but its long-term successful breeding is not given; an endangered endemic of Lake Matano, where it still occurs in large numbers, but juveniles are practically impossible to find – they are eaten by invasive fish, the population is not being renewed, and the species therefore urgently needs insurance breeding in aquariums
  • Tylomelania zeamais
    • smaller tylomelania, almost commercially unavailable, rare and more demanding in aquarium conditions; critically endangered endemic of Lake Matano, originally a very abundant species everywhere on rocks, today it occurs only very rarely in protected locations without access of invasive fish
  • Tylomelania gemmifera
    • a relatively frequently imported species that is variable in appearance; it is one of the more demanding, and despite its popularity, breeding in subsequent generations is a rarity; an endangered species
  • Tylomelania sinabartfeldi
    • a small, visually unique tylomelania, rarely available and even less often successfully bred in the long-term; representative of riverine snails, critically endangered species
  • Celetaia persculpta
    • a species occasionally imported for its unique appearance, but very demanding and "impossible to keep" in the long-term despite occasional breeding, which is followed by the death of both the young and the original imported snails after a few weeks or months; endemic to Lake Poso, still abundant in nature and not classified as endangered; this species is not suitable for inexperienced breeders, but knowledge gained from breeding tylomelania with similar requirements could help achieve long-term and repeated success with this snail
A call for aquarists

If you identify with the goals of our program and want to contribute to species conservation, join us. Elevate your hobby, start taking snails seriously 🙂 and fall in love with them and their unique natural environment. We can all be part of the story of the Sulawesi lakes and the conservation of their endemic species.

We are looking for snail keepers, co-authors of materials, curious and determined people. Contact us at snails@sulawesikeepers.org. Thank you.

Entry into the Conservation breeding program for Sulawesi snails follows the same rules as our fish program. You can find them along with the application form here.