Microsynodontis nannoculus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Microsynodontis nannoculus |
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The Microsynodontis nannoculus is a special kind of upside-down catfish. It lives only in Equatorial Guinea, a country in Africa. You can find it in the Kyé River. A scientist named Ng Heok Hee first described this fish in 2004.
Discovering This Fish
Before 2004, scientists thought there were only four types of Microsynodontis catfish. These were Microsynodontis batesii, M. christyi, M. lamberti, and M. polli.
But Dr. Ng looked closely at fish that had been collected before. These fish were thought to be M. batesii. He found that they were actually nine different kinds of fish! Eight of these had never been described before.
He wrote about these new fish in 2004. M. nannoculus was one of the new species he found. Scientists agree that these eight new fish are real species. However, it can be very hard to tell them apart.
What It Looks Like
The M. nannoculus is a small fish. It grows to about 3.9 centimeters (1.5 inches) long. This measurement is called its standard length.
Its mouth points downwards. It has wide lips with small bumps called papilla. This fish also has three pairs of feelers, called barbels. One pair is on its upper jaw. Two pairs are on its lower jaw.
The front edges of its top fin and side fins are stiff. They are like strong spines that can lock into place. The fish's body is shaped like a cylinder from head to tail.
You can tell M. nannoculus apart from other fish in its group by its eyes. Its eyes are very small. The size of its eye is only about 10% to 12% of its total length. Other fish in the Microsynodontis group have much bigger eyes. Their eyes are usually 13% to 26% of their total length.
See also
In Spanish: Microsynodontis nannoculus para niños
