‘Large’-mouthed river creature — with giraffe-like pattern — discovered as new species
In an “acidic” river of central Africa swam a “large”-mouthed creature with a giraffe-like pattern. When visiting scientists snagged one of these unique animals, it immediately caught their attention — and for good reason.
It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers visited several rivers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 2021 and 2023 to survey fish, according to a study published July 30 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Fish Biology.
With the help of local anglers, researchers caught dozens of fish with a giraffe-like pattern, the study said. Taking a closer look at their catch, they quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Parauchenoglanis stiassnyae, or Stiassny’s giraffe catfish.
Stiassny’s giraffe catfish are considered “small,” reaching about 3.5 inches in length, the study said. They have “large” mouths and “small” eyes.
Co-author Maxwell Bernt described the new species as “short” and “stubby” and shared photos of it on X, formerly Twitter.
Photos show the catfish’s brown and cream blotches, a design “reminiscent of the distinctive color pattern of the giraffe,” the study said.
Stiassny’s giraffe catfish were found in “moderately acidic” waters with “mud and plant debris,” researchers said. These rivers were typically surrounded by forests.
Researchers said they named the new species after Melanie L. J. Stiassny, a fish researcher with the American Museum of Natural History, because of “her outstanding work and commitment to biodiscovery and conservation in the Congo River basin.” She started a project to document the region’s fish and trained “numerous Congolese ichthyologists, including the authors of the present paper.”
So far, Stiassny’s giraffe catfish have been found in four rivers of the Congo basin, the study said. These sites are primarily in Mai-Ndombe Province along the country’s western border.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in central Africa and borders nine countries: Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The new species was identified by its coloring, skeleton, body shape, mouth and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had about 9% genetic divergence from other related species.
The research team included Myriam Modimo, Maxwell Bernt, Raoul Monsembula Iyaba, José Mbimbi and Tobit Liyandja.
This story was originally published August 1, 2024 at 9:06 AM with the headline "‘Large’-mouthed river creature — with giraffe-like pattern — discovered as new species."
