Showing posts with label cedar sculpin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cedar sculpin. Show all posts

Friday, January 31, 2014

New Species of Freshwater Fish Discovered in Idaho and Montana



It is rare to find new fresh water species of fish in the United States. It is even rarer to find new species in the mountain streams of Idaho and Montana. Biologists from the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station came up with an interesting discovery when completing a genuine inventory.

The species they found is now called the cedar sculpin after similar species. At first they were unaware that they have discovered something new. Through genetic coding they were able to determine that these fish were previously unlisted and not seen before. 

Because of their small size of a few inches they are important fish for other larger species. In the food chain the smaller fish help maintain larger fish within the ecosystem. For example the cedar sculpin eat insects and are in turn eaten by bass. We of course like to eat the bass. 

The find helps us think about how even new things can be found right under our noses. We only need to look a little closer to see what others have not yet discovered. North America still holds some interesting gems and perhaps further research may determine better uses of this species.