Russian researchers have discovered two fish species previously unknown to science in the Caspian Sea basin, with one of them found directly off the coast of Kazakhstan, infohub.kz reports.
The fish was caught in the eastern part of the sea, quite unexpectedly: it was literally pulled from the mouth of a water snake that had already grabbed its prey.
The new species has been named the Caspian tadpole goby (Benthophiloides caspius). Scientists consider it extremely rare, as only a few specimens have been found so far. Researchers studied their DNA and compared it with other goby species of the Caspian, after which it turned out to be a previously unknown species.
The second fish was named the Scythian tubenose goby (Proterorhinus scythicus). It was found not in the sea itself, but in the Volga delta and the East Manych River. According to the researchers, the new species turned out to be closer to its relatives from the Black Sea basin than to Caspian gobies.
Scientists suggest that this connection arose because about 2.1 million years ago there was an ancient water connection between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea basins. That is why the new species was named after the Scythians who lived in the Black Sea region.
Overall, it is noteworthy that the new species were discovered only recently in a region that scientists have studied for a long time and in considerable detail. Most likely, they were simply overlooked before, since some goby fish look alike. In such cases, only DNA analysis helps to determine that you are dealing with a separate species.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote that Chinese scientists discovered a new species of bumblebee goby and decided to name it after South Korean singer Jennie from the K-pop group BLACKPINK.