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Miami Herald
11-08-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Thousands of catfish seen climbing waterfalls in Brazil for first time. See them
In a river near a police department in southern Brazil, thousands of catfish amassed at the base of a waterfall and began to climb. The unusual fish gathering caught the attention of police officers — and for good reason. It turned out to be a first-of-its-kind sighting. A department of the Environmental Military Police in Mato Grosso do Sul State contacted a team of scientists in November 'to report the occurrence of a massive aggregation of bumblebee catfishes' near their headquarters, according to a study published Aug. 8 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Fish Biology. Intrigued, researchers visited the river near the headquarters and were stunned to find thousands of small catfish 'clustered and slowly moving upstream,' the study said. They watched for 20 hours as the fish climbed the waterfalls. A video, shared by Fish in the News in an Aug. 9 Facebook post, shows the bumblebee catfish 'at night, climbing vertical rocky walls' along the edge of a waterfall, researchers said. The orange-and-black fish almost seem to wiggle their way upward, even as the angle of the wall becomes steeper. In flatter areas, the fish 'aggregation was so massive that specimens were seen above each other, climbing the large cluster of fish,' the study said. Another video, also shared by Fish in the News, shows the bumblebee catfish climbing over the top of a waterfall one at a time. Researchers identified the vast majority of the fish as Rhyacoglanis paranensis, a species of bumblebee catfish, but also noticed a few individuals of three other fish species. In general, Rhyacoglanis catfish are 'relatively rare' and their lifestyle is 'virtually unknown.' The sighting in Mato Grosso do Sul State was 'the first time' Rhyacoglanis paranensis catfish had been seen in a 'massive aggregation' and the first time the species had been seen climbing, the study said. Based on dissections of a few catfish and the timing of the sighting, researchers concluded the bumblebee catfish were likely migrating upriver to spawn and were not eating during the migration. 'The migratory movements of smaller (fish) species remain largely unknown, mainly because these events occur briefly, under specific environmental conditions, and are challenging to detect in highly diverse ecosystems,' researchers said. 'Field observations, such as those in this study, provide valuable insights into the ecology of smaller fish species, representing most of the native ichthyofauna in South America,' the study said. Mato Grosso do Sul is a state in southwestern Brazil and along the border with Bolivia and Paraguay. The research team included Manoela Marinho, Eris de Paula, Francisco Severo-Neto, Yasmim Santos and Heriberto Gimênes-Junior.
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
New species with light blue spots, black ‘mask' discovered in Fiji fish market
In Fiji, a ray with light blue spots and a mask-like pattern on its face began appearing in the country's fish markets. It closely resembled other species, but displayed several key differences that caught the attention of researchers. Some experts identified it as Neotrygon kuhlii, or the blue-spotted stingray, while others said it was a different species called Neotrygon trigonoides, also known as the Caledonian maskray. However, researchers said 'no attempts' had ever been made to verify the identity of the unique-looking creature, according to a study published June 9 in the Journal of Fish Biology. DNA testing revealed it was likely a new cryptic maskray species, or one that closely resembles a known species but is genetically distinct, according to the study. Additional analysis of nine specimens acquired from local fishermen and Fiji fish markets confirmed they belonged to a new species, which researchers named Neotrygon romeoi, or the Fiji maskray, according to the study. The species has also appeared in iNaturalist records, according to a June 10 Fish in the News Facebook post. The new species is described as being large and having a 'broadly angled snout' and 'thornlets' down its back, according to the study. It is brownish with a 'dark mask-like marking covering across and between the eyes,' researchers said. It also has 'numerous black pepper-like spots mainly concentrated in masked area' and small, dark-edged pale blue to whitish spots, according to the study. The Fiji maskray can be found nearshore or at depths of at least 75 feet in seagrass beds, sandy bottom areas and around coral reefs, researchers said. The species is 'mostly solitary,' but can occasionally be found in pairs or groups of up to five, the study said. Researchers said the new species is known only from the Fiji Islands and may 'warrant inclusion in Fiji's Endangered and Protected Species Act.' It 'appears to be widespread' across the archipelago, researchers said. The specimens were collected from Fiji's Viti Levu Island. The research team included Kerstin Glaus, William T. White, Helen L. O'Neill, Sarah Thurnheer and Sharon A. Appleyard.
