Creature that releases toxic ‘soap-like mucus' when stressed is new ocean species
Rypticus africanus, or the African soapfish, was misidentified as Rypticus saponaceus, or the greater soapfish, a related species found in both the east and west Atlantic, according to a study published July 21 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Fish Biology.
In 2003, researchers found 'considerable genetic differences' among individuals identified as greater soapfish, 'suggesting that the African population may be a cryptic undescribed species,' the study said.
Cryptic species are two or more distinct species that are nearly impossible to distinguish by appearance alone.
Fourteen specimens from Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Togo and one from a market in Ghana were collected and tested to verify the fish as a new species, according to the study.
Researchers said Rypticus africanus was likely misidentified as Rypticus saponaceus because both species have a conservative morphology, or overall appearance. According to the study, the two species likely diverged millions of years ago.
The African soapfish, which can reach up to 8 inches long, is described as having 'a brown to dark-grey body' with pale spots and fins that match its body. Juveniles of the new species have 'a predominantly bluish hue' with a distinct white stripe along the top of its head, according to the study.
It's discovery makes it the 11th species in the Rypicus genus, researchers said.
Rypticus fish 'secrete substantial amounts of toxic, soap-like mucus as a stress response, earning them the common name soapfishes,' according to the study.
The new species is found in clear, shallow waters to depths of up to 100 feet near rhodolith beds and rocky reefs, according to the study. Researchers said the species is 'not generally abundant' but may be more common in certain reef habitats and caves up to 65 feet deep.
According to the study, the Gulf of Guinea is 'one of the least understood tropical reef environments' in the world and is the second-most imperiled marine hotspot globally due to human-driven impacts.
Researchers said the region 'desperately needs further studies' to document new species and protect those already known to science.
The research team included Gabriel Soares Araujo, Cláudio L. S. Sampaio, Luiz A. Rocha and Carlos Eduardo Ferreira Leite.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Geographic
a day ago
- National Geographic
Different dinosaur species may have really traveled together like in the movies
A newly discovered trove of fossilized footprints provides what may be the first evidence of prehistoric diversity in dinosaur herds, though not everyone is convinced. A herd of ceratopsians (Styracosaurus albertensis) accompanied by an ankylosaur (Euplocephalus tutus) walk through an old river channel under the watchful eyes of two tyrannosaurs (Gorgosaurus libratus). Illustration by Julius Csotonyi Across the African savanna, zebras and wildebeests travel together in massive herds often peppered with impalas and gazelles. The larger the herd, the safer its members are from predators like lions, hyenas and African wild dogs. Scientists have wondered whether dinosaurs similarly engaged in mixed-species herding behavior. Children's movies like ' The Land Before Time ' series and ' Dinosaur ' (2000) often depict motley crews of dinosaurs migrating together, like apatosaurs and triceratops or iguanodons and parasaurolophus (despite often living in different time periods). But evidence that different dinosaur species actually travelled with each other was lacking in the fossil record. Now, paleontologists working in the badlands of Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada, have uncovered fossilized footprints they say provide the first evidence of different species of dinosaurs herding together—though not everyone is convinced. The finding was published Wednesday in PLOS One . The 76-million-year-old footprints tell the story of a small group of horned dinosaurs, called ceratopsians, that may have formed a Lord of the Rings-esque traveling party with an armored ankylosaurid and, perhaps, a small two-legged theropod. And like Tolkien's famous fellowship, this band of travelers may have been stalked by fearsome foes: a pair of large carnivorous tyrannosaurs. RTMP technician working on Skyline tracksite Photograph by Dr Brian Pickles, University of Reading In the summer of 2024, Brian Pickles , a paleontologist at the University of Reading in England and his colleague Phil Bell were searching for fossils in the park when they came across something strange sticking out of the ground. 'We'd gone out prospecting for bones and weren't having much luck,' says Pickles. But then Bell, a paleontologist from the University of New England in Australia, came across a raised rim of iron stone. 'He started poking around and realized that it was a dinosaur footprint.' The 48 hours that followed the find were a whirlwind of frantic excavation and profound discoveries that culminated in what he calls 'a revolution in dinosaur paleoecology at Dinosaur Provincial Park.' In a patch of land roughly the size of two parking spaces, the team was able to excavate over a dozen fossilized footprints. Unlike other dinosaur track sites where footprints often overlap, these tracks were evenly spaced and showed no signs of crowding. Based on their size, shape, and direction, the researchers concluded they were likely made by a mixed-species group of at least five dinosaurs walking together. The team also found the fossilized footprints of two large tyrannosaurs that may have been walking side-by-side near the herd. Digital Elevation Model of Skyline tracksite (elevation scale in m) and key tracks (scaled to relative elevation) Illustration by Dr Brian Pickles, University of Reading Were these apex predators working together to hunt? And was the herd formed as a way to defend against such predation? In the grasslands of Africa, lions will often follow mixed species herds of herbivores and work together to hunt them. Could these footprints have captured a similar situation unfolding? 'It's quite evocative to think of this situation as being similar to what we see on the African plains today,' says Pickles. 'We don't know the specific timing. The tyrannosaurs could have been there first.' 'Weak feet?' Some researchers not involved in the work questioned the team's conclusions. Anthony Romilio , a paleontologist at the University of Queensland in Australia, says that although some dinosaurs likely did form mixed-species herds, he disagrees with how the authors interpreted the footprints. 'As researchers, we're naturally drawn to the possibilities these fossils offer—but that excitement can sometimes lead to interpretive overreach,' Romilio says. In his view, the ceratopsian and ankylosaurid tracks look similar in shape, and he thinks they are more likely to be poorly preserved footprints of large-bodied hadrosaurs. 'That interpretation may not be as headline-grabbing, but it aligns better with what we know from both fossil footprints and trackways,' he says. Christian Meyer, a paleontologist from the University of Basel in Switzerland, is also skeptical, and calls the findings "speculative." "I find that the preservation of the tracks, including their taxonomic assignment, is on weak feet, as there are no complete trackways preserved that show also the walking pattern," he says. "Moreover, the interpretation of mixed herding is—given the facts—in my view a bit overstretched." Since the excavation that sparked this new study, Pickles and his colleagues say they have found over ten additional dinosaur trackways. With this many trackways, Pickles says, figuring out whether some dinosaurs formed mixed-species herds is just the beginning. 'There's potentially a lot more going on there than we've been able to expose so far,' he says.
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
A new genetic test may be able to predict obesity in early childhood. What to know
More than 2 out of 5 adults in the U.S. are considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But what if there was a way to test children to find out if they're at higher risk for contracting the chronic condition while still having time to change their lifestyle? In a study published July 21 in the journal Nature Medicine, more than 600 scientists from 500 institutions worldwide compiled genetic data from more than 5 million people. Using data collected by The Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits (GIANT) consortium – an international collaboration of human genetics researchers and 23andMe – a genetic measure known as polygenic risk scores (PGS) was developed to help identify children at higher risk of developing obesity in adulthood. Obesity is a serious, common and costly chronic condition characterized by excessive body fat, often defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater. The American Medical Association considers it a significant public health concern, as it increases the risk of numerous conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. What does the study say? Researchers developed ancestry-specific and multi-ancestry polygenic risk scores and found they were about twice as effective as the risk assessments doctors currently use. For people with European ancestry, the newly developed risk score accounted for about 17.6% of a person's risk of developing a high BMI in adulthood. About 70% of participants whose genetic data was compiled in the study had predominantly European ancestry, 14.4% had Hispanic ethnicity with typically mixed ancestries, 8.4% had predominantly East Asian ancestry, 4.6% had predominantly African ancestry and 1.5% were of predominantly South Asian origin, according to the research. Ruth Loos, a co-author of the study, is a professor at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen. In an interview with NBC News, she explained, 'Obesity is not only about genetics, so genetics alone can never accurately predict obesity.' 'For the general obesity that we see all over the world, we need other factors, such as lifestyle, that need to be part of the predictions,' added Loos. Obesity increases the risk of nearly 200 diseases and can cause serious health conditions like asthma, strokes, Type 2 diabetes and some types of cancers. It was a risk factor in 3.7 million deaths in 2021. Globally, obesity in adults has more than doubled since 1990, with adolescent rates quadrupling, the World Health Organization reported. How can communities address obesity? Ensuring access to healthy foods, safe places for physical activity, stigma-free obesity prevention and treatment programs, and evidence-based health care services such as medication and surgery are examples of how to address and prevent obesity, according to the CDC. Director of the CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Karen Hacker previously told USA TODAY that there is no singular approach to addressing the health concern. 'Obesity is a disease caused by many factors, including eating patterns, physical activity levels, sleep routines, genetics and certain medications. This means that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, Hacker said. 'However, we know the key strategies that work include addressing the underlying social determinants of health, such as access to health care, healthy and affordable food and safe places for physical activity,' Hacker added.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
‘Ghost'-like river creature found lurking in rock crevices. It's a new species
On a riverbank in a remote part of central Brazil, a team of scientists broke open the stones 'with a hammer and pickaxe' in search of aquatic life. The unconventional method worked and exposed a 'ghost'-like river creature. It turned out to be a new species. Researchers visited Javaés River several times in 2017 and 2018 to survey its aquatic life. The river had been surveyed before, but the team had a slightly different approach this time: Instead of focusing on the main water channel, they would investigate the rocky riverbank, according to a study published July 14 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Fish Biology. To do this, researchers visited 'during the dry season, when water levels are lower and fishes are concentrated,' study co-author C. David de Santana told McClatchy News. Next, they 'used hammers and pickaxes to break apart rocks and expose the crevices where the fish were hidden.' The labor-intensive process eventually led the team to find 15 unfamiliar-looking fish, the study said. Researchers took a closer look at the fish, analyzed their DNA and realized they'd discovered a new species: Porotergus sambaibensis, or the Sambaíba ghost electric knifefish. Sambaíba ghost electric knifefish have 'compressed' bodies reaching about 4 inches in length, the study said. Their eyes are 'small' and 'completely covered by (a) thin membrane.' Photos show the 'dark brown' coloring of the new species. Sambaíba ghost electric knifefish are 'nocturnal,' live 'concealed in rock crevices' and are able to navigate 'tight spaces,' de Santana said via email. They likely 'feed on aquatic insect larvae, and small crustaceans.' Like other ghost knifefish, the new species 'produces weak electric discharges' used for 'navigating complex habitats in total darkness or turbid waters' and 'communication (e.g., spacing, courtship, territorial behavior),' de Santana said. 'The discharges are completely harmless to humans and cannot be felt. They are fundamentally different from the high-voltage shocks produced by electric eels.' Researchers said they named the new species after Sambaíba, 'a rocky bank in the Javaés River,' where it was first discovered and, so far, the only place where it has been found. The site is in central Brazil and a roughly 1,280-mile drive northwest of Rio de Janeiro. 'The discovery of Porotergus sambaibensis underscores the substantial amount of biodiversity that remains undocumented in the Amazon, particularly in specialized microhabitats such as rocky banks and rapids, which are often overlooked in standard survey efforts,' de Santana said. The new species is 'also a symbol of the hidden, irreplaceable diversity of the Amazon and a stark reminder that many species could disappear before we even realize they exist unless proactive efforts in conservation, research, and habitat protection are increased,' he said. The new species was identified by its coloring, fin shape, body shape, teeth, bone structure and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least about 4% genetic divergence from related species. The research team included Marina Mendonça, Luiz Peixoto, Carine Chamon, A. Akama and C. David de Santana.
