A new species of Jupiaba tetra has been described by Brazilian ichtyologists Birindelli, JLO, AM Zanata, LM Sousa and AL Netto-Ferreira.

The fish has been given the name Juipaba kurua, a name derived from the type locality; the Curuá River which is part of the Xingu River drainage. The river name Curuá comes from the tupo language kurua.

Researchers analysed the gut content of these fishes to find out more about their habits and the results indicate that Juipaba kurua is an omnivore clearwater species that feeds along the entire length of the water column.

The faint dark Juipaba kurua is differs from its close relatives by sporting an elongate humeral blotch, a distinct dark spot on the caudal peduncle, and a pattern of dark spots on most of the scales on the sides of the body. The fish has teeth cusps of similar size and the lower jaw teeth gradually decrease in size posteriorly. The number of branched anal-fin rays varies from 21 to 24.

The description of Juipaba kurua was published in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology.

Birindelli, JLO, AM Zanata, LM Sousa and AL Netto-Ferreira (2009) New species of Jupiaba Zanata (Characiformes: Characidae) from Serra do Cachimbo, with comments on the endemism of upper rio Curuá, rio Xingu basin, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology 7, pp. 11–18.

A study of the molecular phylogenetic interrelationships of south Asian cyprinid genera Danio, Devario and Microrasbora has resulted in a reclassification of the group and the creation of a new genus: Microdevario.

The study, which has been published in a recent issue of the journal Zoologica Scripta, was carried out by Fang Fang and his colleges at the Swedish Museum of Natural History.

The researchers examined the molecular phylogeny of the Danioninae using fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome b and nuclear rhodopsin genes from 68 species, including 43 danioinine species.

The analysis revealed the species Microrasbora rubescens and the genera Chela, Laubuca, Devario, and Inlecypris to form a natural group, the Devario clade, with the species Microrasbora gatesi, Microrasbora kubotai and Microrasbora nana being in sister group position to the rest.

Zebrafish

These findings, in combination with subsequent analysis of morphological characters, have made the authors propose four taxonomic changes:

· The species Inlecypris auropurpurea is reassigned as Devario auropurpureus.

· Microrasbora gatesi, Microrasbora kubotai and Microrasbora nana are reassigned to a new genus named Microdevario. Fish of this genus are distinguished from other danioinines by a combination of skull and jaw characters.

· Reassignment of the species Celestichthys margaritatus to the genus Danio in previous studies is confirmed.

· The membership of Chela is restricted to Chela cachius. All other species previously placed in this genus are reassigned to the genus Laubuca, except Chela maassi, which is in the genus Malayochela.

For more information about the study and the suggested taxonomic changes, see the paper Fang, F, M Norén, TY Liao, M Källersjö and SO Kullander (2009) Molecular phylogenetic interrelationships of the south Asian cyprinid genera Danio, Devario and Microrasbora (Teleostei, Cyprinidae, Danioninae). Zoologica Scripta 38, pp. 237–256.

Mars Fishcare, owner of Rena, Aquarian and API, is pulling out of aquarium production and sales due to increased competition in the aquarium market.

“Mars Fishcare Europe is taking steps to refocus its European business in aquarium equipment and water treatment, and to strengthen its position in the European fish food market, ” the company says in a statement. “In recent years, the sharp rise in competition in the tank market has made it difficult for Mars Fishcare to optimise its resources in this area.”

Mars Fishcare has pledged to provide after sales service for all Rena Aqualife aquariums already sold in Europe and to honour the five year guarantee that comes with all recent Rena Aqualife models. Up until now, Rena has been an important player in the European aquarium market, especially in the UK, with its Aqualife range of modern high-quality aquariums intended for customers interested not only in functionality but also in sleek eye-pleasing design.

No, this fish is not animated by Pixar – it is a very real fish created by Mother Nature deep down in the ocean. Its name is Macropinna microstoma and it has puzzled ichthyologists since it was first described by Chapman in 1939.

Macropinna microstoma, also known as the Barreleye fish, has a fluid-filled dome on its head through which the lenses of its barrel shaped eyes can be clearly seen. The fish lives at a dept of 600-800 metres where it spends most of its time hanging almost completely still in the water.

Even though the Barreleye was described by science in the late 1930s, the transparent dome is a fairly new discovered since it is normally destroyed when the fish is brought up from the deep. Old drawings of the fish do not show the see-through part of the head and the species was not photographed alive until 2004.

Thanks to new technology, it is now possible for researchers to explore the deep sea much more efficiently than ever before and we are therefore learning more and more about the weird and wonderful creatures that inhabit these baffling parts of the planet. It has long been known that the tubular eyes of the Barreleye are good at collecting light; an adaptation to a life deep down in the ocean where light is scarce. The eyes were however presumed to be fixed and the fish was therefore believed to have a very narrow upwards-facing tunnel-vision. Researchers Bruce Robinson and Kim Reisenbichler from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has now changed this notion completely by providing evidence suggesting that this fish can rotate its eyes within the transparent dome in order to see both upwards and straight forward. Robinson and Reisenbichler observed that when suitable prey, e.g. a jellyfish, is spotted, the fish will rotate its eyes to face forward as it turns its body from a horizontal to a vertical position to feed.

Robinson and Reisenbichler were able to get close to five living Barreleyes using Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) at a depth of 600-800 meters off the coast of Central California. In addition to observing and filming the fish in its native habitat, the researchers also captured two specimens and placed them in an aquarium for a few hours in order to study them more closely.

Live specimens of Macropinna microstoma turned out to have beautifully coloured green eyes; probably in order to filter out sunlight from the surface of the ocean since this would make it easier for the fish to spot bioluminescent jellyfish. Robinson also suggests that Macropinna microstoma might be using its supreme eye sight to steal food from siphonophores[1].

If you want to know more about the intriguing Barreleye fish, check out the paper BH Robison and KR Reisenbichler (2008) – Macropinna microstoma and the paradox of its tubular eyes. Copeia[2]. 2008, No. 4, December 18, 2008.

Remember the strange fish discovered by divers off the Indonesian coast in January 2008? This fish has now been scientifically described and given the official name Histiophryne psychedelica. Well, what else would you call a fish that that looks like this and moves like it was permanently and irrevocably under the influence?

Histiophryne psychedelica, also known as the Psychedelic frogfish, was scientifically described by Ted Pietsch[1] and Rachel Arnold[2] of the University of Washington, together with wildlife photographer David Hall[3].

The University of Washington has released videos where you can see the Psychedelic frogfish swim, or rather hop, skip and jump, over a coral reef. http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=47496

Each time the fish strikes the reef, it uses its fins to push off while simultaneously expelling water from tiny gill openings on the sides of the body to aid in propulsion. The fish is well suited for life on the reef and has for instance been blessed with protective thick folds of skin that keeps its gelatinous body out of harms way among the sharp-edged corals. Just as on the other members of the frogfish group, the fins on both sides of the body have evolved into elongated protrusions more similar to legs than fins. Histiophryne psychedelica does however distinguish itself from other frogfish species by having a flat face with eyes facing forward.

Frogfishes are a type of angelfish, but unlike most other anglers Histiophryne psychedelica does not have any lures on its forehead to tempt its prey with. It also seems to keep its vibrant colours in all sorts of environments, unlike most other anglers who prefer to adapt every inch of their body (except for the lures) to the surroundings in order to stay undetected by prey. According to Hall, the psychedelic colouration might be a way for the fish to mimic corals.

When a Psychedelic frogfish is killed and preserved in ethanol, it looses its lively colours and patterns within a few days and takes on a dull white appearance. This made Pietsch curious about two specimens sent to him in 1992 and he decided to take a closer look at them in a microscope. In the newly caught specimen, the distinctive striping of the fish could still be seen through a microscope and this prompted Pietsch to re-examine the two preserved ones in search of patterns. As it turned out, these two fishes had the same characteristic striping as Histiophryne psychedelica – Pietsch had been storing two specimens of the psychedelic fish for 17 years without realizing it.

If you wish to learn more about this mesmerizing fish, check out the paper Theodore W Pietsch, Rachel J. Arnold and David J. Hall. “A Bizarre New Species of Frogfish of the Genus Histiophryne (Lophiiformes: Antennariidae) from Ambon and Bali, Indonesia.” Copeia[4], February 2009. The study was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lophiiformes
Family: Antennariidae
Genus: Histiophryne

New species: Histiophryne psychedelica

The catfish L239 has finally been described by science and given a proper name: Baryancistrus beggini. Ichthyologists Lujan, Arce and Armbruster described the species in a paper[1] published in the journal Copeia[2].

Baryancistrus beggini lives in Venezuela and Colombia; in Rio Guaviare and at the confluence of Rio Ventuari and Rio Orinoco. The researchers found the fish in crevices amongst boulders. By analysing stomach contents, they were able to learn that this catfish feeds on periphyton and associated microfauna growing on rocks. (Periphyton is a mixture of algae, heterotrophic microbes, cyanobacteria, and detritus that can be found attached to submerged surfaces, e.g. stones, in most underwater ecosystems.)

In the aquarium trade, L239 is known as Blue panaque or Blue-fin panaque. The name beggini was given by Lujan and his colleagues in honour of Chris Beggin, the owner of an aquarium fish store in Nashville, USA who funded the research. The species has been placed in the genus Baryancistrus, but this might have to be corrected in the future as we learn more about the tribe Ancistrini.

Baryancistrus beggini sports a uniformly dark black to brown base colour with a blue sheen and the abdomen is naked. Along each side of the body you can see a distinctive keel above the pectoral finns; a keel formed by the strongly bent first three to five plates of the midventral series. The body also features two to three symmetrical and ordered predorsal plate rows and the last dorsal-fin ray is connected to the adipose fin.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Loricariidae
Subfamily: Hypostominae
Tribe: Ancistrini
Genus: Baryancistrus

New species: Baryancistrus beggini

A new disease has been discovered; a disease that effects both Leafy seadragons (Phycodurus eques) and Weedy seadragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus).

The disease, which as now been described by veterinary pathologists, is a type of melanised fungus that causes extensive lesions and necrosis of the gills, kidneys and other areas of the body in seadragons. The disease was discovered in seadragons kept in aquariums.

Experts from the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science at the University of Connecticut has identified the presence of both Exophiala angulospora and an undescribed Exophiala fungus in sick seadragons.

You can find more information in the paper[1] by Nyaoke et al published in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation[2] in January this year.

The Leafy seadragon (Phycodurus eques) and the Weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) are both marine fish species belonging to the same family as seahorses and pipefish. The Leafy seadragon is covered in long leaf-like protrusions that serve as camouflage, while the Weedy seadragon is camouflaged by weed-like projections. Both species are native to Australian waters.

A new species of catfish belonging to the genus Lithogenes has been described by ichthyologists Scott Schaefer and Francisco Provenzano in a recent issue of the journal American Museum Novitates[1].

The new fish has been given the name Lithogenes wahari, after Ruá-Wahari, the Piaroapeople’s God of Creation[2]. The species is known from the Cuao River, a part of the Orinoco River drainage, where it inhabits clear and swift forest streams with exposed bedrock substratum. It was actually collected over 20 years ago by anthropologist Stanford Zent, but it would take until 2001 before the fish was found again by Scott Schaefer and Francisco Provenzano.

Lithogenes wahari is the third scientifically described member of the small genus Lithogenes and can be distinguished from its two close relatives by the absence of odontodes on the proximal portion of the ventral surface of the first pelvic-fin ray, the lack of accessory premaxillary teeth, the extensive ridges present on the thickened skin of the pelvic pad, and the intense pigment band that runs along the base of the anal fin. There is also a diffuse spot located midlength on the anal fin rays.

Interestingly enough, the new information on this Lithogenes member has led ichthyologists to suggest that the common ancestor of the Loricariidae and Astroblepidae was a fish capable of climbing rocks by grasping them with its mouth and pelvic fins.

Picture here

The cichlid genus Crenicichla now has two new described members: Crenicichla tesay and Crenicichla mandelburgeri.

Crenicichla tesay

Crenicichla tesay lives in the Paraná River drainage and was described by Argentinian ichthyologists Jorge Casciotta and Adriana Almirón. The fish was caught in the Iguazú River upstream of Iguazú falls in Argentina, an environment characterized by falls and pools with clear and rapidly flowing water. The bottom in this habitat consists of stones, mud and sand.

The name Crenicichla tesay is derived from the Guaraní word for tears; the fish displays a tear-shaped suborbital stripe. You can distinguish Crenicichla tesay from its close relatives by the existence of a serrated posterior preopercle border, the number of scales on the E1 row, the length of the snout, and the colour pattern which consists of a suborbital stripe, 4–6 dark blotches and numerous irregularly scattered dots on the sides of the body.

The description has been published in the journal Revue Suisse de Zoologie[1]. For more information, see the paper: Casciotta, J and A Almirón (2008) Crenicichla tesay, a new species of cichlid (Perciformes: Labroidei) from the río Iguazú basin in Argentina. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 115, pp. 651–660.

Crenicichla mandelburgeri

Just like Crenicichla tesay, this newly described cichlid hails from the Paraná River drainage. It was described by Swedish ichthyologist Sven Kullander and named Crenicichla mandelburgeri in honour of Paraguayan ichthyologist Darío Mandelburger.

The Crenicichla mandelburgeri specimens were collected from two different environments. Some lived in the rapids of a large stream (5-10 meters wide and up to 1 meter deep) with turbid, brownish water. Others lived in a much smaller stream (up to 3 meters wide) with shallower brown water where both velocity and transparency fluctuated. In this environment, the bottom consisted of stones and sand and was generally without any plants.

Young Crenicichla mandelburgeri cichlids feature numerous narrow vertical bars along the side, which changes into an irregular dark horizontal band as the fish matures. You can also distinguish Crenicichla mandelburgeri from other crenicichlas by the distinct caudal blotch, the number of scales in the lateral row and in the E1 row, the lower jaw (which is longer than the upper), and the serrated preopercular margin.

For more information, see the paper: Kullander, SO (2009) Crenicichla mandelburgeri, a new species of cichlid fish (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Paraná river drainage in Paraguay. You can find it in Zootaxa 2006: 41–50.[2]

Crenicichla

Crenicichla is the cichlid genus where you can find the largest number of described species, about 75 species. They live on the South American continent where they inhabit freshwater rivers, streams, pools and lakes. The richest variation of species is encountered in the Amazon region, but you can find Crenicichla cichlids as far north as Guyana, Venezuela and Colombia and as far south as Uruguay and central Argentina where the water can become fairly cold in the winter.

The Indian government’s Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is now launching a breeding program for the threatened Red line torpedo barb (Puntius denisonii).

Torpedo barb – Picture by brookfish

Puntius denisonii, commonly known as Red line torpedo barb, Roseline shark, or Denison barb, is native to the fast-flowing hill streams and rivers in Kerala, at state located in the southern part of India. It is highly sought after in the aquarium trade.

After several years of research, the MPEDA has now managed to successfully breed Red line torpedo barb using two different techniques: one that relies on hormone treatment to trigger spawning and one where the natural breeding conditions of this barb is recreated in captivity.

MPEDA hopes to be starting commercial production shortly.

Picture by brookfish