‘Large’-eyed river creature — with rows of teeth — found in China. It’s a new species
In a waterway of southeastern China, a “large”-eyed creature swam along. Equipped with rows of teeth, the scaly animal sought out its next meal.
Something about the river animal caught the attention of visiting scientists — and it turned out to be a new species.
Researchers visited several sites in the Qiantang-Jiang river basin in 2020 and 2023 as part of a fish biodiversity survey, according to a study published May 17 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.
During their visits, researchers found 14 “large”-eyed fish, the study said. At first, they identified the animals as a known catfish species. But when they looked closer, they realized they’d discovered a new species: Tachysurus wuyueensis, or the Wu-Yue catfish.
Wu-Yue catfish’s “elongated” bodies can reach about 5 inches in length, the study said. Their “broad” heads are “flattened” underneath. They have “moderately large” eyes “covered with (a) thick membrane,” whiskers on their face and rows of teeth.
A photo shows “yellowish-grey” coloring of a Wu-Yue catfish. Most of its body has a gray-blue hue while its head appears almost electric yellow.
Wu-Yue catfish were found in mountain streams, the study said.
Researchers said they named the new species “wuyueensis” after “two rival states Wu and Yue which were bordered by the Qiantang-Jiang in southeast China more than 2000 years ago.”
So far, the new species has only been found in the Qiantang-Jiang Basin, a river basin that spans coastal Zhejiang Province and inland Anhui Province in southeastern China, the study said. The river basin is about 230 miles southwest of Shanghai.
The new species was identified by its skeleton, body shape, fins and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 7% genetic divergence from other related catfish species.
The research team included Jia-Jun Zhou, Le-Yang Yuan and Wei-Han Shao.
This story was originally published May 22, 2024 at 9:09 AM with the headline "‘Large’-eyed river creature — with rows of teeth — found in China. It’s a new species."
