White Cloud Mountain, Kwangtung, China

The 44th place in the qualifying stage of the Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2015

 Greece. George Pantazopoulos

Volume: 80 L
List of fishes: Tanichthys albonubes
List of plants: Adiantum sp., Vesicularia montagnei, Vesicularia dubyana, Ficus benjamina, Soleirolia soleirolii
Biotope description: Type locality is “White Cloud Mountain, Kwangtung, China”, referring to White Cloud Mountain (also known as Mount Baiyun or Baiyunshan) a few miles north of the city of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China and this species is probably restricted to the Pearl River Delta region. Between 1980 and 2001 it was not recorded anywhere at all leading to fears of its extinction but a handful of relict populations have been discovered close to the type locality and at isolated spots in coastal Guangdong province (in the prefecture-level city of Shanwei) and Quang Ninh province, northeastern Vietnam. Little published information exists but one of the populations rediscovered close to the type locality in Guangdong inhabits a sluggish, spring-fed mountain stream with clear, shallow water and dense growths of aquatic vegetation. They were observed swimming in schools in calmer zones and backwaters close to patches of dense, trailing marginal vegetation. Found in clean, sluggish coastal stream amongst hydrophytes. Can survive in water temperature as low as 5°C. Feed on zooplankton and detritus. Stomach analyses of wild specimens have revealed it to be a micropredator feeding on small insects, worms, crustaceans and other zooplankton.