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Emanating from the highest peaks of the Merume
Mountains in Guyana the Mazaruni River has been protecting the privacy and
discovery of a previously unknown electric fish. The Akawaio penak represents
the newly discovered genus and species of fish. Nathan Lovejoy, professor at
the University of Toronto Scarborough and his team of international
researchers, made the discovery.
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They have named the thin, eel-like electric
knifefish in honor of The Amercian Indian group of people that inhabit the
region along the Guyana-Veneuelan border.
The Akawaio penak features a characteristic organ that runs the length
of the fish at the base of the body. Unlike other electric fish that use this
organ to stun their prey, the Akawaio penak’s organ produces a much milder electric
field in order to navigate its murky habitat.
Like other electric
knifefish, Akawaio penak has a long organ running along the base of the
body that produces an electric field. The electric field is too weak to stun
prey but is instead used to navigate, detect objects and to communicate with
other electric fish. This trait is advantageous given the murky habitats of the
fish.
The fish was found in the
main channel as well as its major tributaries amongst residual sand and pebbles
produced and deposited by nearby gold-mining activities. It was found in black
to reddish black water with pH ranging form 4.4 to 4.8, temperature of 22-23.5 °C
and conductivity 10 μS. One of the many reasons for recent research in this
area is the concern over the degradation of the water as a result of this
mining activity.
“The Mazaruni contains
many unique species that aren’t found anywhere else in the world. It’s an
extremely important area in South America in terms of biodiversity,” says
Lovejoy. Further, “The fact this area is so remote and has been isolated
for such a long time means you are quite likely to find new species.”
This area though is largely unexplored
due to the nature of its rugged and remote terrain.
More information can be
found at: Novataxa
and The
University of Toronto
Photo Credit: Hernán
López-Fernández
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