Angler reels in ‘large’-mouthed sea creature — and discovers new species off Taiwan
Off the coast of Taiwan, an angler reeled in the line and found a “large”-mouthed sea creature caught on the hook. The angler didn’t know it at the time, but the “silvery” animal turned out to be a new species.
A team of scientists spent decades collecting specimens of deep-sea fish known as beardfish. These bottom-dwelling fish tend to look “similar” to each other, leading researchers to suspect some fish were being misidentified, according to a study published Dec. 9 in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
Between 2005 and 2023, researchers tracked down a trio of beardfish with unique mouths from anglers in Taiwan and the South Pacific islands of New Caledonia, the study said. Researchers took a closer look at these fish and realized they’d discovered a new species: Polymixia melanostoma, or the black-mouth beardfish.
Black-mouth beardfish are considered “moderately small,” reaching over 6 inches in length, the study said. They have “slender” bodies, “large” eyes and “large” mouths. Their snouts are “rounded” and “gelatinous with several small bumps.”
A photo shows the “silvery” coloring of the new species soon after one was caught. On its lower jaw, it has a long beard-like barbel extending straight down.
Researchers said they named the new species after the Greek words “melano” and “stoma,” meaning “black mouth,” because of “its unique black oral cavity.” The black coloring in the fish’s mouth and on its tongue is visible in preserved specimens. Researchers did not say if the coloring was visible in live fish.
So far, black-mouth beardfish have been found off Taiwan and New Caledonia, two Pacific islands roughly 4,300 miles apart, the study said. The new species likely lives throughout “the western Pacific Ocean.”
Researchers know little about the lifestyle of the new species, except that it lives at depths of up to 2,500 feet.
The new species was identified by its mouth coloring, fin shape, snout texture and shape, scale pattern and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 4% genetic divergence from other beardfish species.
The research team included You-Ci Fan, Yo Su, Chien-Hsiang Lin, Chih-Wei Chang and Hsiu-Chin Lin.
This story was originally published December 27, 2024 at 6:10 AM with the headline "Angler reels in ‘large’-mouthed sea creature — and discovers new species off Taiwan."
