Valencia toothcarp



Valencia hispanica, or the Valencia toothcarp (samaruc) is a species of freshwater fish in the family Valenciidae. It is endemic to southern Catalonia and the Valencian Community, Spain. There is at least one historical record of this species from near Perpignan, France, but the species has since been extirpated from that area.

Its natural habitat consists of marshes, freshwater springs, coastal freshwater lagoons, and acequias. It is threatened by pollution and habitat loss.

Description
Specimens are a light brown to yellow colour. Adult males oscillate between 4–8 cm, and can be distinguished from females by the orangish rims of their fins. In addition, adult females are slightly larger than adult males. It is a gregarious fish, known to form small shoals. The species is carnivorous, feeding on insects, larvae, and worms.

Conservation status
The Valencia toothcarp is listed as an endangered species by the Spanish government and the IUCN. Its populations dwindled as a result of land reclamation, an intense phenomenon in Valencia during the 1980s, attributed to the tourism boom. The increased human population that followed also brought increased pollution and introduced species, damaging the species' populations further.

Recently, the species has been the object of a conservation and reintroduction program spearheaded by the Valencian regional government, which aims to reverse further declines.