Mengxuan Yang Taiwan Environmental Information Association
July is summer vacation, but in Yumin Elementary School, Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, there are several students shuttling through nearly 100 fish tanks to help change the water and take care of the fish. Here is the "aquatic corridor", which is the teacher Zhong Chenrui and a group of fish protection angels to jointly guard the world of Taiwan's native fish.
Zhong Chenrui (middle) instructs students to replace fish farming equipment. Photo: Yang Mengxuan.
<h1>From the cover of the spotted bucket fish to the "aquatic corridor" of nearly a hundred fish tanks
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As soon as you step into the aquatic corridor, dozens of fish tanks are lined up on both sides, and the sound of water flowing is incessant, like a small aquarium. There are more than 40 species of taiwanese native freshwater fish, including more than 10 species of Taiwan-endemic fish, Such as Taiwanese stone carp, Taiwanese horsefish, Ho's spiny fish, etc.
Taiwanese stone carp. Photo courtesy of: Chenrui Zhong.
Taiwanese mussel. Photo courtesy of: Zhang Yongqing.
Ho's Spiny Ray. Photo courtesy of: Zhang Yongqing.
Zhong Chenrui instructed the students to replace the fish tank and filter, and the students cooperated with each other to arrange a new home for the fish. Zhong Chenrui is a primary school teacher in Yu Minguo, a standing director of the Taiwan Native Fish Conservation Association, and a soul of the aquatic corridor.
Recalling how to plant into the world of Taiwan's native fish, Zhong Chenrui said that 17 years ago, the school's teacher Lin Yitong, knowing that he liked to raise fish, handed him more than 100 cappella fighting fish from the water test, and since then opened the road to study Taiwan's native fish.
Cover spotted fighting fish. Photo courtesy of: Zhang Yongqing.
"After I got the covered fish, I checked the information and found that although it was a conservation animal, it used to be seen in small lakes and ponds." Zhong Chenrui remembered the "three spots" that he went to the pond with his classmates to fish when he was a child, which turned out to be a cover spot fighting fish.
Zhong Chenrui began to contact native fish by studying the covered bucket fish. "I've been playing ornamental fish for many years, but I'm very unfamiliar with Taiwan's native fish." So he began to go with his friends to streams and ponds around Taiwan to look for native fish and understand their living environment.
The aquatic corridor has nearly 100 fish tanks for display and restoration purposes. Photo: Yang Mengxuan.
At the same time, Zhong Chenrui wanted to expose students to Taiwan's native fish, so the idea of establishing an aquatic corridor was born. At first, there were only one or two fish tanks, but the use of fish tanks and equipment provided by parents and neighbors allowed the aquatic life to expand to the size of today's one corridor and two classrooms.
<h1>Fish angels plant seeds for promotion and conservation</h1>
The "Taiwan Native Fish Little Angel", composed of senior students, is an indispensable force in the aquatic corridor. Photo: Yang Mengxuan.
Zhong Chenrui arrived at school at 7 o'clock every day, the first thing was to go to the aquatic corridor to inspect, after school also carefully checked each tank of fish before leaving, if there is a power outage or leakage on holidays, you must hurry to the school to deal with it. However, so many fish, can not rely on Zhong Chenrui alone to take care of, another force in the aquatic corridor, from the "Taiwan native fish little angel".
"Taiwan Native Fish Little Angels" is composed of fifth and sixth grade students, who are full of interest and enthusiasm for native fish, and have been trained in classes and exams. The work of the little angels is all-encompassing, and they use the early self-study and lunch break time to brush the moss attached to the fish tank, clean the filter, pump water for water, feed the feed, etc., and of course, bury the dead fish.
Some little angels will take the initiative to help during winter and summer vacations, and even graduate into the national high school, and will come back to see the fish they used to take care of. "I hope that when the little angel comes to school and the workplace, he can help promote Taiwan's native fish and pass on the concept of conservation." Zhong Chenrui believes that guarding the seeds of Taiwan's native fish already exists in the hearts of these students.
<h1>Reinvigorated pit pond type fish Zhong Chenrui loves medaka the most</h1>
After Zhong Chenrui actually visited the habitat, he found that the fish living in the stream can restore the ecology by sealing the creek. However, fish that use pits as their habitat are in crisis due to the random stocking and pollution of the population. If the pond is privately owned, it is more difficult to carry out conservation work.
Therefore, Zhong Chenrui decided to show the fish at the same time, but also to rehabilitate the endangered and rare Pitang-type fish. In recent years, aquatic corridors have successively revived pond-type fish such as Snickers' catfish, Kikuchi's crucian carp, and seven-star carp, and the main object of restoration is the medaka.
Snickers tuna. Photo courtesy of: Chenrui Zhong.
Kikuchi's crucian carp. Photo courtesy of: Zhang Yongqing.
Seven-star fish. Photo courtesy of: Zhang Yongqing.
"The medaka is my favorite fish, although it can't be compared with ornamental fish, but after watching it for a long time, there is a simple beauty, and there is a fluorescent white and blue-blue luster, which makes me think it is very beautiful." From Zhong Chenrui's tone, it can be seen that he loves medaka. However, this most petite native Taiwanese fish is in danger of extinction.
"It took me three or four years to find the medaka habitat, and at the moment only traces of it are in Yilan and New Taipei City." Zhong Chenrui said that medaka is very fertile, but it is afraid to compete with other fish to survive. Adult medaka is only 2 to 4 cm long, small in size, and easily becomes food for other fish.
Medaka (female). Photo courtesy of: Chenrui Zhong.
Medaka (male). Photo courtesy of: Chenrui Zhong.
Since last year, Zhong Chenrui has promoted the rearming of medaka in New Taipei City, using the school as a place for rehabilitation, so that teachers with hearts can participate in and take care of medaka together. "I want to use the school as a starting point, slowly promote it to the community, and finally let the fish return to nature."
In addition, Zhong Chenrui is also assisting in the rehabilitation of small catfish in The Changrong Community in Pingtung and the rearing of medaka in the Shimen Songshan Community. "We don't want to just put species from east to west and south to north. Instead, it is necessary to reproduce the main species in the land. ”
<h1>The mission of conserving native fish in Taiwan is not complete</h1>
Zhong Chenrui hopes to do his part to promote Taiwan's native freshwater fish. Photo: Yang Mengxuan.
Since the opening of the aquatic corridor in 2003, Zhong Chenrui has many feelings about the investment in Taiwan's native fish. "The aquatic corridor allows young people to get a clear picture of Taiwan's native fish face to face, while older visitors can evoke memories of their childhood."
With the development of human industry and commerce, Zhong Chenrui realized that many taiwanese native fish are leaving the stage of life. Although the aquatic corridor has made many achievements in restoration, there are still many native fish in Taiwan that need to be rescued.
Zhong Chenrui hopes to use his little strength to retrieve these fish and live with people in this land. "It's exciting and fulfilling for me to see a lot of taiwanese native fish survive in Taiwan, or to find habitat for them and successfully rehabilitate them."