The Nemacheilus Dori, found only in Israel. Photo: INPA.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) inaugurated an artificial habitat to save a species of fish found only in Israel from extinction, the Hebrew news site Walla reported on Monday.

According to the report, the habitat — to preserve the rare fish, known as Nemacheilus Dori — was built in the Tel Saharon Nature Reserve in northern Israel, in an attempt to provide the optimal conditions for it to survive, thrive and multiply.

The unique fish was discovered in the 1960s by Prof. Menachem Goren of Tel Aviv University. Over the decades, the INPA has been observing its sharp decline, until five years ago, when there were only about 200 left. To counteract the phenomenon, the INPA, under the guidance of Dr. Yaron Krotman, developed a breeding nucleus to keep if from dying out.

The Nemacheilus Dori is a mere five centimeters (two inches) in length, but it possesses ecological significance. It lives at the bottom of streams; feeds on worms and small crabs; and is eaten by birds.