A new species of catfish was discovered at the Fitzgarald arch, one of the remotest parts of the Peruvian Amazon and a hotspot for biodiversity.
The Nature Conservancy reports that the new catfish is “an armored, Amazonian catfish that eats wood from fallen logs – and, when desperate, the feces of its fellow catfish.” It also has teeth shaped like spoons to make eating easier.
New species are uncovered every year in South America. Freshwater scientist Paulo Petry said we don’t know the true number of freshwater species in South America:
There are 4,700 freshwater fish species in South America right now. On average, over 100 species per year have been discovered. This year alone, 69 new species have been described thus far. These numbers show very clearly that we are far from knowing the number of freshwater species in South America
With about 100 newly discovered freshwater species coming out of the Amazon a year, we are reminded how we have much to learn about South America’s — and much of the world’s — biodiversity.
WWF says that humans, plants, and animals stand to lose by decreasing biodiversity in the Amazon:
Market forces, population pressure and infrastructure advances are continuing to pry open the Amazon rainforest. As pressures on the region grow in intensity, it is becoming increasingly clear that the price to be paid is not only loss of biodiversity and habitat – but also a decreasing quality of life for people.
We need to protect not only all of the species of plants and animals that we have already discovered, but all the untold species that we don’t even know about yet.
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