A species of freshwater ray-finned fish found only in Israel, in the Yarkon River system.
The Yarkon bream is a silver-gray fish with small scales. It is usually up to 120 millimeters long. The bream tends to swim close to the riverbed in oxygen-rich areas, where it feeds on algae. The Yarkon bream is endemic to Israel and, until about 50 years ago, was common in its river system. When a severe drought caused the Yarkon to dry up and nearly drove the bream to extinction, the bream was taken to an aquarium in an attempt to save it from that fate by providing it with optimal living conditions. However, the attempt was unsuccessful, as the bream would not breed. In a second attempt, an experimental breeding pool was built for the bream in the Yarkon Sources National Park. Living on the brink of extinction, being removed from its habitat and then reintroduced to it was a deeply harrowing experience for the bream. Not only does the near-extinct species face daily threats from predators and other dangers, it also grapples with post-traumatic stress, anxiety and fear of what is to come. The bream developed a strong preference for self-reliant survival strategies. It builds hiding places that provide protection and ensure optimal breeding conditions. Now it lays its eggs between stone structures it builds in the river — sanctuaries and places of refuge for its body and mind in the dangerous Yarkon. Physically, its forehead has thickened, and it uses it to push and stack stones. |
Amit Biton, Koral Glam |