‘Ghost’ lake creature — with clear body — discovered in Brazil. See tiny new species
In the shallow waters of Brazilian lakes, a tiny fish moves between the dense vegetation.
It’s less than half of an inch long and belongs to a family of characins.
But, from the surface, the fish is impossible to see. Aside from the glint of its silver eyes, it is completely translucent, according to a study published Sept. 12 in the peer-reviewed journal Vertebrate Zoology.
When the clear creature was captured by scientists and photographed, they noticed it wasn’t like anything they had seen before, and it was identified as a new species.
Priocharax phasma is unique because of its “complete lack of pigmentation on the body,” researchers said.
“The name phasma is derived from the Greek word φάσμα which means ghost. It alludes to the almost completely transparent appearance of the new species, resembling a ghost,” according to the study.
The fish captured by researchers was 0.4 inches long with an elongated body and a fin about halfway down the spine.
It was found in the floodplain lakes of two small islands in the Amazon River, according to the study.
But, it wasn’t the only new species identified by the research team.
In a nearby section of flooded forest from a stream, researchers captured another miniature characin, according to the study.
This one still had a relatively see-through body, but was dotted by pockets of color in orange and black, researchers said.
The new species, which is related to P. phasma, was named Priocharax conwayi to honor Kevin Conway, an ichthyologist and friend of the researchers, according to the study.
The fish has a rounded snout and similar silver eyes, researchers said, and stands alone because it has a claustrum, a part of the first vertebrae absent in other related species.
“Priocharax conwayi sp. Nov. occurs in black water systems and was collected in two slightly different habitats, a shallow riverine area at the margin of the flooded forest presenting dense aquatic vegetation and a small, slow-flowing forest stream also presenting dense aquatic vegetation,” researchers said.
All fish in the genus, Priocharax, are “a tiny size,” according to the study, and are found exclusively in the river systems of the Amazon.
Both new species were discovered along the Amazon River in northern Brazil.
The research team includes George M. T. Mattox, Flávio C. T. Lima, Ralf Britz, Camila S. Souza and Claudio Oliveira.
This story was originally published September 12, 2024 at 9:50 AM with the headline "‘Ghost’ lake creature — with clear body — discovered in Brazil. See tiny new species."
