�Miss Kerala,� an ornamental fish, facing the danger of extinction.

Hope is finally burning bright for �Miss Kerala� (Puntius denisonii), an ornamental fish facing the danger of extinction from commercial exports.

A freshwater fish endemic and once largely exclusive to the Achencoil and the Chaliyar rivers, Miss Kerala, also known as red line torpedo barb, was a major export revenue earner for the State in the ornamental fish export sector, with each of these beauties raking in at least Rs.1,500.

However, with no steps to curb the exports, the species was slowly swimming to extinction.

Now, giving a shot in the arm for those fighting to save Miss Kerala, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has put her on its Red List, regarded the most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species since 1963.