The Aquarium of the Pacific is providing a temporary home for northern tidewater gobies directly impacted by ash and chemicals from the ongoing Palisades Fire.
Rescued tidewater gobies Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
January 23, 2025
Aquarium of the Pacific staff check on the endangered fish upon their arrival. Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Biologists successfully rescued a group of tidewater gobies (Eucyclogobius newberryi) from one of their remaining natural habitats in the Topanga Canyon Lagoon. This effort was a collaborative endeavor involving California State University Channel Islands, the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and California State Parks.
Johnathan Casey, Aquarium of the Pacific curator of fish and invertebrates, and Rosie Dagit, Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains principal conservation biologist, high five in celebration of the successful fish rescue. Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
The tidewater goby is a hearty, freshwater fish, but runoff from the fire has already begun entering their habitat, potentially leading to harmful impacts to this population. The species has been listed as endangered since 1994, under the Endangered Species Act. These fish will be safeguarded at the Aquarium of the Pacific under the care of its animal care staff for the foreseeable future until significant rain events can flush out debris left over from the Palisades Fire, and they can be safely returned to the wild.
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