3-foot-long river creature with ‘sharp’ teeth discovered as new species in Vietnam
In a river of southern Vietnam, a 3-foot-long creature with “sharp” teeth swam through the murky water — or tried to, at least. Something closed around the wrinkly animal and pulled it toward the surface.
Trawlers looked at their net; they’d caught a new species.
Researchers visited the Mekong River estuary near Ho Chi Minh City several times in 2023 to search for a group of fish known as snake eels, according to a study published March 13 in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
During their surveys, the team found several unfamiliar-looking brown eels, the study said. They took a closer look at the animals and realized they’d discovered a new species: Ophichthus nguyenorum, or the dark long-body snake eel.
Dark long-body snake eels are considered “extremely elongate,” reaching about 3 feet in length, the study said. They have “short” heads with “small and sharp” teeth, wrinkly skin and “pointed” tails.
Photos show the dark brown coloring of the new species.
Dark long-body snake eels live in brackish water where the Mekong River meets the South China Sea. They were caught through trawling at depths between about 30 and 65 feet, researchers said.
A couple of female eels were found “ripe” with “loose eggs,” suggesting they were ready to spawn, the study said.
Researchers said they named the new species “nguyenorum” after “three doctors with the last name Nguyen” for their research on fish classification in Vietnam: Phung Huu Nguyen, Huong Khac Nguyen and Thi Nhat Nguyen.
So far, the new species has only been found in the rivers of Cần Giờ, a southern suburb of Ho Chi Minh City, the study said.
The new species was identified by its snout shape, wrinkles, body proportions, teeth, coloring and other subtle physical features, the study said. Researchers did not provide a DNA analysis.
The research team included Quang Van Vo, Yusuke Hibino, Hsuan-Ching Ho, Thao Thu Thi Le and Ying Giat Seah. The team also discovered a second new species.
This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 11:53 AM with the headline "3-foot-long river creature with ‘sharp’ teeth discovered as new species in Vietnam."
