New species of catfish found in the Wet Tropics

A new type of eel-tailed catfish (Tandanus tropicanus) has been found in the Tully River by researchers from James Cook University and the US Geological Survey.

Eel-tailed catfish are common across Australia but this newly discovered species only lives in rivers within the Wet Tropics.

The numbers of endemic fish species in the Wet Tropics are surprisingly low. Only nine Wet Tropics endemic species have been identified so far, but this could change radically if more taxonomic work was done.

This is just one example of the many rare endemic species that are found in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area that add to its outstanding universal value. 

Learn more about Wet Tropics aquatic ecosystems in our State of the Wet Tropics Report.

For the full story that featured in The Cairns Post visit here.

New species of catfish found in the Wet Tropics

Published: 16th Jul 2014

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