LIPI discovers new fish species in Mahakam river

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has discovered a new species of freshwater fish whose Latin name is Leiocassis rudicula in the upper reaches of the Mahakam river, East Kalimantan province.

The fish was discovered following a research by late Renny Kurnia Hadiaty who was a researcher at the LIPI Biological Research Center and Ng Heok Hee from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Singapore, according to LIPI’s statement quoted here, Saturday.

The discovery by Renny Kurnia Hadiaty was published in the Zootaxa journal Vol. 4641 on August 2, 2019.

Leiocassis rudicula is a catfish member of the seven genera of Leiocassis from the Bagridae family.

This species lives in fast and clear streams with sand or gravel substrates.

Its distribution which is only found in the Mahakam river makes this fish endemic and needs to be conserved.

The new fish is kept in the Zoologicum Bogoriense Museum (MZB) at the LIPI’s Biology Research Center in Cibinong, West Java.

Characteristic

In Latin, rudicula means wooden spoon as it has spoon like-shaped head.

All parts of the body are yellowish brown with the size between  43.8 and 118 millimeters in length. Its head and body are compressed with almost flat back. There is a hollow above the eyes.

Reporting by Indonesia Window