‘Ornate’ creature — with voluminous lips — found in Peru mountain river. See new species
In central Peru, the Andes mountains carve the landscape and direct rivers through the towering peaks.
More than 1,000 feet above sea level, one fish navigates the winding rivers of the Pampa de Sacramento, and was just discovered as a new species.
Chaetostoma sacramento, or the Sacramento rubbernose pleco, is a species of catfish caught in researcher’s nets in 2022, according to a study published Oct. 18 in the peer-reviewed Journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.
The fish were placed in a museum catalog until researchers ran the fish’s DNA and realized it didn’t match any known species, according to the study.
Unlike other related catfish, the C. sacramento has “distinct, white, variably-shaped spots,” researchers said, and “bands on the body.” While the coloration is different in provided photos, this is due to the fish being preserved in alcohol, according to researchers.
The fish has oval bumps covering a massive top lip, and roundish bumps on the pillowy bottom lip, according to the study.
They are about 2.5 inches long, according to the study.
The new species was named for the valley where it was found, an important area for early Christian missionaries in Peru, according to the study.
“The Pampa de Sacramento was first encountered by Europeans on (June 21, 1726), by an expedition led by Don Juan Nunez Lobo and was christened Pampa de Sacramento to commemorate the Catholic ceremony of the Corpus Christi,” researchers said. “Subsequent Franciscan missionaries highlighted the rich ethnic diversity of this region.”
The fish may be new to the scientific record, but fish collectors building aquariums may already know it by a different name.
“Although Chaetostoma sacramento has been known in the aquarium fish trade for almost 30 years ... and is known in the aquarium trade most commonly as L455,” researchers said. “Other common aquarium trade names for the species include ‘tiger Chaetostoma,’ ‘tingo red Chaetostoma’ or ‘ornate chaetostoma.’”
The fish was caught in the Pampa de Sacramento, but fish exporters report finding the animals in two other rivers, according to the study.
The valley is near the city of Huánuco in central Peru, about 220 miles northeast from Lima.
The research team includes Vanessa Meza-Vargas, Jorge L. Ramirez and Nathan K. Lujan.
This story was originally published October 21, 2024 at 3:28 PM with the headline "‘Ornate’ creature — with voluminous lips — found in Peru mountain river. See new species."
