See it: Endangered fish saved from Palisades Fire returned to California lagoon
The tidewater gobies were one of two fish species that were rescued after the Palisades Fire burned over 23,000 acres in southern California in January.
FILE: Endangered Southern California steelhead trout show signs of rebounding after Palisades Fire
At least 100 baby Southern California steelhead trout have been born to trout that had survived the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County in January.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – A group of endangered tidewater gobies had a bit of a homecoming recently after the Palisades Fire in southern California destroyed their habitat four months ago and forced the fish to be relocated.
The fish are found exclusively in the Golden State, where they play the critical role of regulating the invertebrate population and serving as food for native birds and large fish, officials said.
One of their last remaining habitats, the Topanga Canyon Lagoon in Los Angeles County, was overwhelmed by ash, debris and runoff from the Palisades Fire in January.
A tidewater goby inside a clear tank.
(Robin Riggs / Aquarium of the Pacific / FOX Weather)
This led the gobies to be temporarily moved to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and Heal the Bay Aquarium in Santa Monica.
After months of receiving care at the aquariums, the gobies were returned to the wild.
WATCH: BABY TROUT SIGNAL ENDANGERED SPECIES' RECOVERY AFTER CALIFORNIA PALISADES FIRE BURNS HABITAT
"Their return to Topanga Lagoon is significant because it supported the healthiest and most consistently abundant northern tidewater goby population in Los Angeles County until the Palisades Fire broke out," officials said. "Not only is their return important for their local recovery, but their genetic traits may also be preserved so they can adapt to warmer, more variable conditions."
The gobies are returned to the wild.
(Robin Riggs / Aquarium of the Pacific / FOX Weather)
The endangered fish, which are grey-brown and can grow up to 2 inches long, only live for about a year and can reproduce multiple times during their life, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
The animals were one of two fish species that were rescued after the Palisades Fire burned over 23,000 acres in southern California in January.
The other species, the steelhead trout, is also endangered. Survivors of the wildfire were rescued and transplanted into their new habitat of Arroyo Hondo Creek in nearby Santa Barbara County. Officials announced in early May that the rescued fish had spawned at least 100 baby trout.