Chitala lopis, Javanese endemic fish that have been extinct

Belida fish is a type of freshwater fish that has a high selling value. Apart from being a consumption fish, Their unique motifs and shapes make this fish also popular as ornamental fish. Belida including Indonesian endemic fish and consists of four types, namely Chitala borneensis or Belida Borneo, Chitala hypselonotus or Belida Sumatera, Notopterus notopterus or Belida Jawa, and Chitala lopis or Belida Lopis Jawa. The four species are included in the list of protected fish under the Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. P106 Year 2018.

Year 2020 declared extinct

It is unfortunate, in the year 2020 one type of belida fish, namely C. lopis declared extinct (Extinct) oleh IUCN Red List. C. lopis or Belida Lopis Jawa has the characteristic of an elevated back so that the abdomen looks widened and flattened. The top of the head is concave and the anal fin is attached to the caudal fin which is connected by small scales. Initially this species was also thought to be widespread in the Sumatra and Kalimantan regions. However, the latest research shows that Belida Lopis Jawa is only found in the rivers of Central Java and West Java. Belida actively hunts at night and prefers calm, dark waters. This fish is one of the top predators in the food chain in the fresh waters of Java Island, so the loss of habitat greatly affects the balance of the ecosystem.

Cause of extinction

Changes in land use, especially in water areas that occurred massively throughout Java Island, are the main cause of the extinction of the Javanese Belida Lopis fish.. The decreasing natural habitat causes this fish to continue to be pushed until it is declared extinct. other than that, continuous fishing without any conservation efforts is also a contributing factor to extinction. Adult lopis fish are able to grow to size 1,5-7 kg. Its size is large enough to make this fish easier to exploit. Increasingly polluted river areas, Lake, and marshes have also resulted in a decline in population.

Presence in captivity

There have been reports of the presence of adult belida fish suspected to be C. lopis which was caught in a river in West Java. The fish are then brought to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) to be an aquarium collection. According to the Head of the Division of Zoology Generation Biology Indonesia, The caught belida fish are different from other types of belida that are collected at TMII and are visually very similar to C morphology.. lopis. However, to prove this, further studies are needed both morphologically and genetically. When genetically the fish is C. lopis, it is necessary to renew the conservation status of these fish from extinction to extinction in nature (Extinct in the Wild) because it is still left in captivity.

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