Picture of the day

Ptychochromis insolitus, also known as the Mangarahara cichlid, is a species of cichlid, a fish in the family Cichlidae. Endemic to certain river systems in northern Madagascar, it can reach a length of 26 centimetres (10 inches) and features long tooth- or comb-like structures known as cteni on many of its scales. This unusual feature contributed to the decision to use the species name insolitus when the fish was first described as a new species in 2006. It is classified as a critically endangered animal, being threatened by habitat loss and competition from introduced species; after the last known female was killed during a breeding attempt, its conservation received significant international attention as London Zoo launched a media campaign to identify any remaining individuals. A remnant population was discovered in 2013, and breeding programs in Madagascar and at Toronto Zoo have resulted in thousands of successful hatchlings. This P. insolitus fish was photographed in Wilhelma, a botanical garden in Stuttgart, Germany.Photograph credit: H. Zell