South Africa's sandfish are on the brink of extinction: how farmers are helping rescue them

Sandfish migrate to the Biedouw River to spawn. They must swim through fences and over rocks, which takes a toll on them. Jeremy Shelton

Sandfish are migratory freshwater fish found only in South Africa that can grow to over half a metre in length. They sport a pronounced downturned mouth which is used to graze algae off rocks and to grub in mud and sand on the stream bed.

Sandfish: conserving one of South Africa’s most threatened large-bodied fish.