Deep within the floodplains of northwestern Madagascar, where the muddy tributaries of the Betsiboka River meander into isolated oxbow lakes, lives one of the island's most specialized aquatic vertebrates. The spotted damba ( Paretroplus maculatus ) is a deep-bodied, disk-shaped cichlid endemic exclusively to these silty, tea-colored waters. Once widespread across the freshwater lakes of the Sofia and Betsiboka catchments, this striking fish has vanished from nearly all of its historic range, becoming a central focus of modern freshwater conservation and field ichthyology. In recent field surveys, researchers utilizing environmental DNA (eDNA) water sampling and fine-mesh net monitoring have mapped remnant micro-populations of the spotted damba in secluded waterbodies like Lake Kamindy. These surveys represent a vital step in understanding how this ancient lineage survives under immense pressure from deforestation, si...