Source: UPI
RIO DE JANEIRO, March 4 (UPI) -- A new species of catfish has been discovered in a tributary of the Amazon River in a previously unexplored region of Brazil's rainforest, researchers said.The fish was discovered during an expedition to measure the biodiversity of the rainforests in the Brazilian state of Para, LiveScience.com reported Friday.
"Discoveries like this one remind us that we still have a lot to learn about the biodiversity of the Amazon," said Patricia of Conservation International Brazil, which helped organize the expeditions.
The fish has been dubbed the "jaguar catfish" because of its cream color with a pattern of dark patches, reminiscent of jaguar fur.
It has been given the scientific name Stenolicnus ix, "ix" being a Mayan word used to describe jaguars.
A single example of the fish was found by the expedition with a sieve by scraping sand and leaf litter from the Curua River bed.
"This fish was collected when we were about to finish our research in the creek. It is very small and, therefore, very hard to find," said Wolmar Wosiack, curator of the ichthyology collection of the Emilio Goeldi Museum in the state of Para. "This is why we collected only a single individual."