Nathan K. Lujan

Assoc. Curator of Fishes @ROMtoronto | Asst. Professor @eebtoronto | River Guardian: | @IUCN FW Fish Specialist Group | IG: @potamophile

[Nathan K. Lujan @DrNathanLujan]

Come find me at the other place for more fish, fieldwork, and natural history museum content.

[The Economist @TheEconomist]

Any contracts signed by America will ultimately be with the government of Delcy Rodríguez. Her administration, and Donald Trump’s, might now share an incentive to prevent any elected alternative from taking office in Venezuela https://t.co/cWVj2ho5yq

[テセ松 @Tesematsu]

シャコもなんとか完成。難しかったけど、資料として使えそうなくらい精巧な造りと可動が凄い。こういう生き物の模型、どんどん出してほしい！君卿工作室

[Mark Carney @MarkJCarney]

The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big”.

The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.

We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms.

Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always.

[Functional Ecology @FunEcology]

📰Published📰Plant traits should decide who lives, dies, or grows fastest, but instead mostly reflect differences in tree size🌳

https://t.co/SRtF8TsIyE

🧪🌍️

[饗場 空璃 | Sorari Aiba @Sorari_Aiba]

岸壁採集で採れたインドアカタチをご寄贈いただきました。

岸壁採集でインドアカタチ...？という豪運もさることながら、鰭膜の状態の良さに見惚れてしまいますね

[かぶつ @tan_sui_kabutz]

男鹿水族館で美しいトクビレに出会った

[Fritz Sanchez @Fritz_A_Sanchez]

#Reflexión #Venezuela

Observo con profunda tristeza, preocupación e impotencia el avance de la #CulturaMinera en nuestras amadas comunidades indígenas, georreferenciadas en los sectores 5 Kavanayén y 8 Wonkén, del pueblo pemón en #GranSabana

Donde, en lugar de proteger sus linderos y territorios ancestrales, se está generando un pasivo cultural y ambiental deplorable para las generaciones futuras

Avanza un voraz extractivismo aurífero ilegal, acompañado de una no menos dañina pérdida de valores ancestrales y de cambios en las formas y estilos de vida. Un pasivo cultural que deberemos atender con premura para recuperar el papel de los pueblos pemón como custodios de sus hábitats y territorios.

Basta comparar la primera imagen, que tomé hace casi dos décadas, con la realidad actual: Wanto Ken se ha convertido en un centro logístico para la distribución de combustible, insumos y equipos mineros destinados al medio y alto río Karuay, dentro del PN #Canaima

Ante esta realidad, cabe preguntar: ¿qué dicen sus autoridades, Chery Rodríguez y Baudilio Brasil? ¿Qué acciones se están tomando para proteger los territorios ancestrales y evitar que este avance minero termine dejando un pasivo cultural y ambiental irreversible?

[Amazon Watch @amazonwatch]

BREAKING: Indigenous Communities and Social Movements Unite Against Mining in Ecuador’s Amazon
The action, held on the Jatunyaku River in Napo, formed part of the official program of the XII Pan-Amazonian Social Forum https://t.co/Dt7cX9Zbe9

[ASIH @IchsAndHerps]

The Thorny History of the Holotype of Rinelepis histrix Valenciennes, 1840 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae), an Eighteenth-Century Naturalist Relic

by L. M. P. Ceríaco, M. R. Britto, C. R. Moreira

DOI link: https://t.co/mGO4OBm3nh
50-day free access link: https://t.co/vo2tcr39jY

[Monica Piccinini @yourvoiz_org]

The Amazon's Trees May Be Reaching a Dangerous Tipping Point

https://t.co/PL0meVLhEI

[Amazon Watch @amazonwatch]

"Loreto is one of the Amazonian regions most affected by river-based mining activity. Mining dredges are a direct source of river contamination due to the substances used in the gold extraction process, most notably mercury." #AmazonCrime #NoAmazonMining https://t.co/0K7rskQPKe

[ユキヤ @yukiyalates]

この著者、遺伝的に離れたグループを形態にほとんど基づかないまま遺伝情報のみで新種にするのを度々見る。いろんな文献で形態学的に差がなくシノニム扱いになっているが、今回のもそうなりそうかな。記載とは。

[Klaus Riede @KlausRiede]

The IUCN Species Survival Commission has published a Position Statement on the vital role of biological collections in biodiversity conservation https://t.co/ZQYVfR3xZs

[Science Magazine @ScienceMagazine]

How do snails make “slime” that can do so many jobs, from helping snails slide to helping them stick, to serving as a defense mechanism?

In a new Science study, researchers report that collagen and calcium work together to fine-tune snail mucus’s mechanical properties for each task, offering inspiration for adhesives and other novel materials.

Learn more: https://t.co/NsrcIFgqjI

[Nathan K. Lujan @DrNathanLujan]

That's actually the holotype of Neblinichthys pilosus, type for the genus, but you're correct that Neblinichthys is the apogee of cranial odontode ornamentation in fishes. Check out this macho male N. bevibracchium:

[The Otorongo🇺🇸 🇵🇪🐆🐍🦅 @OtorongoLodge]

The most wonderful time of the year on the Amazon River of Peru.
The men here are multitasking.
Searching for valuable aquarium trade fish and collecting lunch.
They seek Amazon puffer fish, Farowella catfish, certain stingray species and more.
The bycatch ( if large enough) will go for food. They collected a few kilos of freshwater prawns, along with other edible species such as Oscar and wolf fish.

We are currently in our descending/ low water period which means fish, fossils and beaches.

[Earth @earthcurated]

Archaeologists have officially discovered a massive, completely lost ancient civilization hidden deep beneath the Amazon rainforest using advanced LiDAR laser technology. A sprawling, pre-Columbian network of cities that completely rewrites human history.

[Fish in the News @FishInTheNews]

#NewSpeciesAlert - Introducing the sea muppets, a lost lineage of Syngnathidae, known from just eight specimens in eighty years and never seen alive.

🔓 https://t.co/Lwu61YoC83

Researchers here present 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 gen. nov., described as a new genus of Syngnathidae (seahorses, pipefishes, seadragons, pipehorses and pygmy pipehorses) endemic to temperate mesophotic habitats of southern Australia and erected to include 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑢𝑟 (left) comb. nov. and 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑥𝑢𝑠 (middle) comb. nov. (both previously placed in 𝐻𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑠), together with the new species described in this study, 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 𝑎𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠 (right).

"The genus is represented by eight specimens collected incidentally over nearly eighty years, with no collections within the last two decades and no verified in situ observations, and therefore meets the criteria of a lost taxon. Its rarity, restricted depth range, and predominant occurrence in mesophotic habitats underscore the need for targeted surveys and formal conservation assessment."

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲
𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 gen. nov. (Teleostei, Syngnathidae), a lost mesophotic lineage from southern Australia, with description of 𝐴. 𝑎𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠 sp. nov. and reclassification of 𝐻𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑢𝑟 and 𝐻. 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑥𝑢𝑠

𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Short, G., Foster, R., Gomon, M., Bassham, S., Small, C., Hamilton, H., … Hay, A. (2026). 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 gen. nov. (Teleostei, Syngnathidae), a lost mesophotic lineage from southern Australia, with description of 𝐴. 𝑎𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠 sp. nov. and reclassification of 𝐻𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑢𝑟 and 𝐻. 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑥𝑢𝑠. Journal of Lost Species, 1. https://t.co/3VSVP5ijq7

𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁
𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 gen. nov. is described as a new genus of Syngnathidae (seahorses, pipefishes, seadragons, pipehorses and pygmy pipehorses) endemic to temperate mesophotic habitats of southern Australia and erected to include 𝐴. 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑢𝑟 comb. nov. and 𝐴. 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑥𝑢𝑠 comb. nov., together with 𝐴. 𝑎𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠 sp. nov. The genus occurs at depths of 50–124 m within a mesophotic zone characterized by reduced light penetration and structurally complex benthic habitats. The included taxa possess hippocampiform features including a ventrally angled head, a fully enclosed brood pouch, and a prehensile tail, but are distinguished by a consistent osteological combination. Micro-computed tomography reveals an elevated, anteriorly inclined supraoccipital, a reduced anterior nuchal plate not forming a coronet, and unfused inferior trunk plates lacking a continuous ventral ridge. The external morphology is comparatively unsegmented, with subtle dermal lobulation contributing to a fleshy habitus. A derived ventral trunk complex is present, composed of anterior and posterior ventral elements flanking a median anal pterygiophore, homologous to the anal-fin pterygiophore complex of 𝐻𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑠 but reorganized into a novel ventral support architecture not observed elsewhere in Syngnathidae. Phylogenomic analyses of ultraconserved elements recover 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 within Haliichthyini, the sister clade to Hippocampini, indicating that the hippocampiform body plan arose independently of 𝐻𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑢𝑠 and reflects convergence rather than shared ancestry. The genus is represented by eight specimens collected incidentally over nearly eighty years, with no collections within the last two decades and no verified in situ observations, and therefore meets the criteria of a lost taxon. Its rarity, restricted depth range, and predominant occurrence in mesophotic habitats underscore the need for targeted surveys and formal conservation assessment.

𝗘𝘁𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆
𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 - is a neologism derived from the Latin 𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠 (southern), referencing the geographic restriction of the genus to southern Australia, and the Greek 𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 (fish), reflecting its taxonomic placement within the family Syngnathidae; gender masculine.
Common English name. Sea Muppet. The common name “Sea Muppet” reflects the appearance of the genus, with its large, prominently domed head and fleshy lobes evoking features reminiscent of the animated characters from The Muppet Show.
The specific epithet 𝑎𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠 (Latinized from the Greek 𝑎𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑠) refers to the protective shield or breastplate in Greek mythology. The name refers to the species’ prominent domed head, recalling the protective strength of the aegis, and follows the mythologically derived epithets of its congeners. Treated as a noun in apposition

𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
Left - 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑢𝑟, NMV A192, holotype, male, 48.7 mm SL, freshly preserved, off Eden, New South Wales, Australia. Lateral view showing large fleshy head, soft externally unsegmented trunk and tail, and absence of spination. Photo credit: Martin Gomon.
Middle - 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑥𝑢𝑠, SAMA F10490, holotype, female, 64.6 mm SL, preserved, south-western Australia, off Esperance, Western Australia. Lateral view showing externally unsegmented trunk and tail and multiple fleshy dorsal lobes distributed across trunk and tail.
Right - 𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑠 𝑎𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠, SAMA F14993, holotype, male, 56.0 mm SL, entrance to Spencer Gulf, Gambier Islands, South Australia. Freshly collected specimen showing vivid orange to pink-orange colouration with irregularly distributed patches and blotches of pink, white, and pale yellow. Note the sharply triangular, laterally compressed dorsal dermal lobes arranged as a single large trunk lobe followed by six progressively smaller tail lobes.

© 2026 the Author(s). Published in the Journal of Lost Species. An open-access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0) deed. https://t.co/5IYEkz4Rwi

#NewSpecies #Ichthyology #Taxonomy #Biodiversity #AquariumHobby #Fishkeeping #Aquarist #TropicalFish #FishTank #Reef #CoralReef #ReefTank #SaltwaterTank #ReefBuilders #MarineAquarium #MarineTank #ReefAquarium #Mesophotic #Ecosystems #GreatSouthernReef #Australia #Systematics #Phylogenomics #Seahorse #Seahorses #Australyichthys #Syngnathidae #Hippocampus #LostSpecies #NewGenusAlert

[nature @Nature]

Book review 📚 A celebration of Ernst Haeckel’s sketches of life forms, from microscopic to majestic

https://t.co/J9NmPsamIY

[Science Magazine @ScienceMagazine]

A tiny fly larva living in one of Africa's deepest lakes has evolved air-filled organs strong enough to withstand pressures found more than 200 meters underwater, according to a new Science study.

The findings challenge a long-standing explanation for why insects have never colonized the open ocean. https://t.co/A8a1Atq5lu