The International Union for Conservation (IUCN) warns that the “exploitation of spring waters and climate change” are major threats facing the Dead Sea toothcarp, which in itself, has been on IUCN’s red list since 2014.

“This fish is threatened with extinction at a global level. It is endemic here and does not exist elsewhere,” said Ibrahim Mahasneh, the manager of the fish’s last home, the Fifa Nature Reserve.

Lying some 140km southwest of Amman in the Jordan Rift Valley and 60km south of the Dead Sea, the wet reserve is the lowest on Earth. Established in 2011, the nature park consists of some 20 sq km. It is located 426m below sea level and is managed by an independent body, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.

Even though the Hashemite kingdom is primarily desert, this area of wetlands is criss-crossed by streams and is home to a variety of plant and wildlife species including birds.

“We have a plan to save and breed this fish, to create a natural habitat for it to breed and at the same time to mitigate the existing threat,” added Mahasneh.

The male fish also has a streak of blue along its sides, while the female has incomplete black stripes. It is not known how many still remain, but monitoring programmes have warned of a clear decline in the presence of this fish in recent years.

Among the environmental threats causing numbers to drop are lowering water levels due to low rainfall and the change in its environment, as well as the presence of other fish that feed on it and its eggs.

Researchers are now preparing to open an artificial pond just for the toothcarp so they can grow safely and their eggs are not devoured by predators. Each season, a female produces around 1,000 eggs.

The aim is then to release the young fish back into the natural environment.