GARRA SMARTI – new species of Arabian freshwater fish discovered in Oman

Emma Smart, a UAE-based PHD student and member of the Emirates Wildlife Society – WWF (EWS-WWF) team has discovered a new species of Arabian freshwater fish - Garra Smarti - residing in Southern Oman. To date there were only sixteen recorded species of primary freshwater fish throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula highlighting the magnitude of the discovery and underpinning the unique and high ecological value of Arabian wadi ecosystems.

“This is an extremely exciting discovery and I am thrilled that my project and research has lead to uncovering this unique species,” said Emma Smart, Conservation Officer, EWS-WWF. “The find proves how little we know about the region and how much potential wildlife remains to be discovered”.

“In order to conserve the natural ecosystem in the region it is vital that we continue to learn more about them and the species that reside in them. I plan to continue my research across the region which may lead to further discoveries in the future.”

Commenting on the discovery, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Director of EWS-WWF stated: “The discovery highlights the need for further research in the region where extreme environmental conditions increase the risk of losing species prior to discovery.”

Smart is currently involved in EWS-WWF’s Wadi Wuraya project where she is studying the ecology of another species of related freshwater fish, Garra barremiae, endemic to the UAE Mountains. “So little has been studied regarding freshwater ecosystems of the UAE and Arabian Peninsula as a whole and I hope to learn a great deal about the ecology of these fascinating habitats and their wildlife,” concluded Smart.

Smart has had an active interest in freshwater fish conservation for over 10 years working voluntarily at Chester Zoo Aquarium in the UK where she became involved in the captive breeding of endangered species.

Having studied for a degree in Marine Biology at the University of Liverpool where she graduated with honours and won the Ellis award for Freshwater Biology, Smart’s subsequent post-graduate research at the University of St. Andrews involved conservation and environmental survey work on endangered freshwater fish species and their habitats in the arid regions of central Mexico.

Smart has spent two years working in Dubai where she was employed as Scientific Advisor and Production Manager on Arabia's first wildlife documentary series 'The Cycle of Life'. This involved planning filming and research expeditions and spending over 10 months travelling across Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. Throughout this time Smart carried out baseline surveys of wadi habitats and their freshwater fish populations and it was this initial research and a passion for Arabia that gave rise to establishing the 'Wadi Fish' project and subsequent discovery of Garra Smarti.