Tag Archives: Mindanai

Barbodes palaemophagus Herre

Bitungu (Barbodess palaemophagus)

This species was described in 1924; it was endemic to Lake Lanao on the island of Mindanao, Philippines.

In the 1960s, the Tank Goby (Glossogobius giuris (F. Hamilton)), a predatory fish species was accidently introduced to the lake, leading to the extinction of several endemic fish species. However, overfishing, rampant use of destructive fishing methods (dynamite fishing), and unsustainable fishing practices certainly played their part too.

The Bitungu was last recorded in 1975 and is now extinct.

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edited: 29.04.2022