Myloplus sauron, a newly described Amazonian fish, looks like trouble at first glance. Its round silver body wears a stark black stripe that tapers toward the belly, a pattern that recalls the fiery “Eye of Sauron” from The Lord of the Rings.
Yet appearances mislead. The fish is a peace loving herbivore equipped with human style molars instead of razor blades. Dr Rupert Collins of the Natural History Museum in London, senior curator of fishes, helped lead the international team responsible for the finding.
“As soon as my colleagues suggested the name for this fish, we knew it was perfect for it. Its pattern looks a lot like the Eye of Sauron, especially with the orange patches on its body,” Collins said.
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Yet appearances mislead. The fish is a peace loving herbivore equipped with human style molars instead of razor blades. Dr Rupert Collins of the Natural History Museum in London, senior curator of fishes, helped lead the international team responsible for the finding.
“As soon as my colleagues suggested the name for this fish, we knew it was perfect for it. Its pattern looks a lot like the Eye of Sauron, especially with the orange patches on its body,” Collins said.
Scientists discover a new species of vegetarian piranha with human-like teeth
The pacú Myloplus sauron, with flat teeth and a black stripe, has been discovered in the Amazon and named in honor of the “Eye of Sauron.”
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Nature is wild