River creature with ‘Milky Way’-like pattern found on mountain. It’s a new species

On a mountaintop in southern Brazil, a river creature with a “unique” color pattern swam through the water. It generally went overlooked — until some determined scientists came along.

It turned out to be a new species.

Researchers hiked up the Serra do Espigão mountain several times in 2023 to survey aquatic wildlife, according to a study published Sept. 11 in the peer-reviewed journal Evolutionary Systematics. The area’s waterways were poorly sampled and their populations largely unknown.

During the visits, researchers caught several small, hard-to-find fish, the study said. They took a closer look at the animals and quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Cambeva galactica, or the Milky Way catfish.

Milky Way catfish can reach just over 4 inches in length, the study said. They have “moderately slender” bodies, “small” eyes and “pointed” teeth.

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Photos show the new species’ “unique” pattern. Its colors have faded in preservation, but the darker brown blotchy pattern is still visible on its sides and back.

Researchers said they named the new species after the ancient Greek word “galaktikós,” meaning “milky,” because of its color pattern being “reminiscent of the Milky Way.”

Milky Way catfish live in a mountain river at an altitude of about 3,200 feet, the study said. The fish were “rare” and found only in a “small” section of the river, despite researchers searching the surrounding area.

So far, Milky Way catfish have only been found on Serra do Espigão in Santa Catarina State, the study said. This mountain is a roughly 600-mile drive southwest of Rio de Janeiro.

The new species was identified by its DNA, coloring, fin shape, skeleton and other subtle physical features, the study said.

The research team included Wilson Costa, Caio Feltrin, José Leonardo Mattos and Axel Katz. The team also discovered three more new species of catfish.

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