The world's smallest species of fish, 'Cyprinidae' measuring 7.8mm, and found in the Bukit Bauk swamp in Terengganu has been carefully preserved to prevent the endangered species from extinction.

State forestry director Azmi Nordin said the fish was found during an expedition to Bukit Bauk organised by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department in 2006.

"Several fish of the Cyprinidae family, the smallest fish in the world were found in the area," he told Bernama today.

Azmi said based on the study by the Forestry Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), the fish had not been found in other places of the world at the moment.

He said the department was rearing the fish so that it would not be extinct and it could be a tourist attraction in the future.

Bernama