Photo: Foreground is Conservation Pond A (running water), Inner area is Conservation Pond B (still water) Upper-Right Photo: Deep body bitterlings
The deep body bitterling (Acheilognathus longipinnis) is a species of freshwater fish that has been designated as a nationally protected species, as only three of their natural habitats remain in Japan. They are classified as Critically Endangered in the Japanese Ministry of the Environment’s Red Data Book, which lists the endangered species of Japan, and designated as a National Endangered Species under the Endangered Species Preservation Act. In recent years, one of their remaining natural habitats, located in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, has become endangered due to struggles with black bass, which are an invasive, non-native species to the area, and the deterioration of river environments.
 Raised emergent plants around the water’s edge. |
 Created a habitat for shellfish and juvenile fish. |
Under these circumstances, Nippon Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd. worked in coordination with the Himi Board of Education, as part of their conservation and breeding program, to come up with committee activity management plans and conservation and breeding plans, and to design biotopes for breeding. Natural habitats were rare, so the number of conservation and breeding examples we could refer to were extremely limited, however, we were able to come up with an ingenious design in coordination with experts and scholars.
A conservation pond was completed in 2004 based on our designs, and it has been managed by the board of education, who have also carried out various conservation experiments on it, thus allowing the deep body bitterlings to successfully breed in a natural manner. Going forward, we expect to be able to return them to their natural river habitats by researching the bivalve breeding culture that is necessary to their egg-laying, so that we can ensure a completely natural breeding cycle for them, and by resolving the problem with their natural enemy, the black bass.
| Location | Himi City, Toyama Prefecture |
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| Contracting Agency | Himi City, Toyama Prefecture |
