Fishuary 2024: Day 16 - Freshwater fish @fish-daily
The tawilis (Sardinella tawilis) is a species endemic to Lake Taal in the Philippines, and the only entirely freshwater species of sardine. It came to be when the Taal volcano erupted and sealed off the lake from the sea in the 18th century, after which it adapted to a fully freshwater environment.
Though its life history interests me, it was very difficult to find images or footage of this little fish where it wasn't dead or dying. I hope that conservation efforts are succesful and that it continues to exist in spite all that stands against it.
Though it is a traditional food of the Philippines, in recent years it has been threatened by overfishing, pollution, predation by introduced species and of course, volcanic eruptions.