Dua Spesies Baru Ikan Pari dari Amazon

KOMPAS.com — Para biolog berhasil menemukan dua spesies ikan pari air tawar baru dari hutan Amazon. Kedua pari tersebut secara informal disebut sebagai pari panekuk karena penampakannya yang mirip panekuk berukuran raksasa.

Kedua spesies tersebut berukuran cukup besar, dinamai Heliotrygon gomesi dan Heliotrygon rosai. Spesimen Heliotrygon gomesi ditemukan di wilayah hutan hujan tropis dekat Iquitos, Peru.

Famili ikan jenis tersebut, terdiri dari ikan pari air tawar di wilayah tropis yang disebut New World, memang dikenal berukuran cukup besar. Ikan pari air tawar bisa mencapai ukuran diameter 1,5 meter saat dewasa.

Penemuan itu dipublikasikan di jurnal Zootaxa edisi 24 Februari 2011. Peneliti sangat terkesan dengan hasil penelitian tersebut. Penemuan ini membuktikan bahwa hutan Amazon belum sepenuhnya tereksplorasi dan terdokumentasi.

Nathan Lovejoy dari Universitas Toronto mengatakan, "Hal terpenting yang diberitahukan penelitian ini adalah masih adanya ikan-ikan besar lain di Amazon yang belum ditemukan dan dideskripsikan."

Selain unik karena bentuknya yang mirip panekuk, ikan pari ini juga berbeda karena ukurannya yang relatif besar, memiliki celah pada bagian perutnya, dan struktur seperti duri di ekornya.

Two New Species of Fish from the Amazon Pari

KOMPAS.com - The biologists found two species of freshwater stingray new from the Amazon forest. Both rays are informally referred to as the pari pancakes for pancake-like appearance of gigantic size.

Both species are large enough, named Heliotrygon gomesi and Heliotrygon rosai. Specimens Heliotrygon gomesi found in the tropical rain forest near Iquitos, Peru.
Family fish type, consisting of freshwater stingrays in the area called the New World tropics, is known for larger. Freshwater stingrays can reach a diameter of 1.5 meters as an adult.

The findings are published in the journal Zootaxa February 24, 2011 edition. Researchers were impressed with the results of such research. This discovery proved that the Amazon forest has not been fully explored and documented.
Nathan Lovejoy of the University of Toronto says, "The most important thing is notified of this research is still the existence of other big fish in the Amazon that have not been found and described."

In addition to unique because of its shape like a pancake, stingrays are also different because the size is relatively large, has a slit in the stomach, and structures such as the thorn in his tail.