All six have snouts adorned with tentacles, but the intrigue doesn’t stop there. The catfish also have “spines that stick out from their heads, almost like claws, to protect themselves and their nests, and their [bodies are] covered with bony plates like armor,” Lesley de Souza, an ichthyologist (AKA fish scientist) at the Field and lead author of the study, says in a press release. “They’re warriors, they’re fish superheroes.” And indeed, male tentacle-nosed catfish have been observed defending nests from predators and looking after young quite frequently. One of the new species was named Ancistrus patronus, the species name meaning latin for protector, a translation which likely comes as no surprise to any Harry Potter fan. Naming new species, the researchers say, is a crucial part of getting people to care about the animals and their habitats. “Everything begins with naming a species and determining how many species you have,” de Souza says in the release. “Once you have done the taxonomy then you can study the ecology, behavior, and do conservation action.”
