A Canadian aquarist, writer and tech-oriented conservationist, Aleksei (Alex) Saunders has spent many years working with rare freshwater fishes, especially the endangered cichlids of Madagascar. His work spans early hands-on fishkeeping, collaborations with institutions and more recently digital tools that support conservation projects.

In the early 2000s, Alex’s notoriety rose to the forefront through his connection with the Denver Zoo’s Tropical Discovery program. During that time, he wrote some of the earliest detailed English language guides on how to keep and breed Paretroplus menarambo. Since the species was almost gone in the wild, his articles helped both hobbyists and zoos maintain healthy backup populations.

Alex has also shared photos and basic documentation of Malagasy fishes—Paretroplus, Pachypanchax and others—on sites such as the Cichlid Room Companion. Before social media, when good images of these species were hard to find, his photos helped people identify them correctly and raised awareness of their conservation needs.

In recent years, Alex has shifted toward the digital side of conservation, building and maintaining online tools and data systems for projects focused on Malagasy freshwater fishes. This includes work tied to Lake Tseny, one of the last remaining habitats for several critically endangered Paretroplus species. His technical work helps organize survey results, track captive populations and support conservation groups working in the Sofia region of Madagascar.

Overall, Alex’s career has moved from hands-on fish care and documentation to behind the scenes technical support. His contributions link the early days of ex situ work on Malagasy cichlids with the modern digital tools now used to monitor and protect their remaining wild populations.

CARES is so fortunate to have Alex on the CARES team as Coordinator for Malagasy Fishes. We are incredibly grateful for all that he brings to CARES and his efforts to ensure a bright future for conservation priority fishes!!