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A set of curious researchers, state-of-the-art visual technology and a bit of good luck helped find a new fish whose tooth collection could put a shark to shame. National Science Foundation-funded scientists have discovered and named a new genus and species of clingfish after stumbling upon a specimen preserved in a jar dating back to the 1970s.
The fish was unmistakably different from the other 160 known clingfishes, named for the disc on their bellies that can summon massive sticking power in wet, slimy environments. The researchers named the new species “duckbilled clingfish” (Nettorhamphos radula) for its broad, flat snout--not unlike the bill of a duck--that houses an impressive number of tiny, conical teeth.Image credit: Kevin Conway and Glenn Moore
