Sulawesi Keepers
Sulawesi Keepers is an international initiative connecting aquarists, scientists, zoos, and other conservation organizations with local communities in Sulawesi working to prevent species extinction. This Indonesian island stands out for its unique freshwater fauna, in the old volcanic lakes we can find dozens of species of fish and invertebrates (shrimps, snails, crabs) that do not live anywhere else in the world. The island of Sulawesi is often referred to as a laboratory of evolution, but in recent years we have unfortunately witnessed how easily an underwater paradise with an immense wealth of species can be destroyed.
Lake endemics
Sulawesi lies in the Wallacea biogeographic region forming the transition between Asian and Australian fauna. Among the fish here, we can find, for example, many interesting half-beaks, ricefish, sail-fin silversides, and gobies. The million-year-old lakes are home to a fascinating constellation of shrimps of the genus Caridina (around 30 species) and snails of the genus Tylomelania (at least 40 species). Shrimps are as colourful as sea shrimps, snails also have differently coloured bodies and a shell length of up to 9 cm, so they are truly unmistakable. There are many more endemic invertebrate species, but these two groups are typically unique to Sulawesi. Not all species have yet been scientifically described, and some have not even been discovered; before that happens, however, they may be lost for good.
Threats to the Sulawesi freshwater fauna
The biggest problem for endemic fauna is invasive fish species. They often dominate the lakes and represent competition for native fish species. Even worse is their impact on the abundance of endemic snails; the smaller species are probably already extinct, and the larger ones have almost lost their young - the fish eat them. Shrimps, which are easy prey for large fish, retreat from predators to shelters under rocks. The bottom of the lakes, once full of life, is now covered with algae and silt. This gets into the lakes due to deforestation of the landscape, the ever-increasing water structures on the tributaries of the lakes, and nickel mining also have a negative effect.
Sulawesi Keepers activities
Sulawesi Keepers is dedicated to educating local people, who often have no idea what unique riches lie beneath the surface of the lakes. Fishermen often don't even know which fish are native and which are introduced and potentially invasive. The effort is to prevent further releases of invasive species by spreading awareness of the possible and often disastrous conflicts between non-native and native species.
It is also necessary to monitor the state of freshwater biotopes, not only through scientific expeditions and cooperation with Indonesian universities but also with the participation of the local public, students, nature lovers, aquarists, and non-governmental organizations. It is necessary to monitor the spread of invasive species and their effect on native species or test the effect of different measures (selective fishing of invasive fish).
Sulawesi Keepers supports research to help us understand the ecology of the lakes and the effects of threats. Last but not least, it will also be possible to use the knowledge gained in rescue breeding in human care. Many species of freshwater fish and invertebrates from Sulawesi cannot yet be kept long-term. However, due to the rapid spread of invasive predators, the creation of reserve populations and their successful management is an extremely important element of the protection of Sulawesi endemics.
You can learn more at https://sulawesikeepers.org/cs/uvod/
