X-ray Vision: Torrent Loach

Credit: radiograph and fish photograph by Sandra J. Raredon, Division of Fishes, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.
February 21, 2012
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Credit: radiograph and fish photograph by Sandra J. Raredon, Division of Fishes, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

The crescent-shaped paired fins on the underside of torrent loaches work like suction cups to help them hold their position on a rock or streambed in fast-flowing waters. These specimens belong to a newly discovered species that has not yet received a scientific name.