Scientists Discover New Fish Species With Scary Human-Looking Teeth
Scientists have discovered a new species of fish with human-looking teeth in the Amazon River, according to CNN.
This newly discovered animal is a new species of pacu and it belongs to the piranha family. Another interesting note about this species of pacu is the name. The team of researchers have named the fish after a villain from J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” They named it the Mylopus sauron, Interesting Engineering reports.
More Interesting Facts About The Mylopus Sauron
The Mylopus sauron have “teeth just like humans.” The pacu feed mostly on fruit, nuts and plants. Sometimes, they eat smaller fish. Interesting Engineering also reports that pacu contributes to the ecosystem’s biodiversity.
“They help rainforests and plants grow. These fishes are known to be surface feeders, meaning they come on top of water to feed on fruits and seeds that are contained in the water.”
The newly discovered species of pacu have orange and black markings with a verticle black stripe across its body (or flank). According to CNN, the researchers said the fish’s flank looked like the fiery eye symbol of Sauron, which inspired the fish’s name.
“The specific name sauron alludes to the Eye of Sauron, from J. R. R.Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” the study said. “The elliptical body of Myloplus sauron, marked witha vertical, black bar tapering toward both ends, resembles the famous vertical-pupilled eye from the novel. A noun in apposition.”
According to the study, there are different species of pacu throughout the Amazon River. The study also found the Mylopus sauron in the Xingu River basin, which is where the majority of this species resides in, the study states.
Other Species Discovered In 2024
Scientists have discovered other interesting species throughout this year. According to Green Matters, the Abronia cunemica was discovered; which is a species of alligator lizard, the Rhynchocalamus hejazicus was discovered; which is a snake species found in the Hejaz region of Saudia Arabia and the Booralana nickorum was uncovered, which is a white underwater isopod.
