New fish species named after indigenous tattooing

Taiwanese researchers have identified a new fish species, naming it Lentipes ptasan. The name is a tribute to the traditional facial tattooing practices of Taiwanese indigenous peoples and reflects the fish's presence in both Taiwan and the Philippines. Doctoral student Jhuang Wei-cheng and Professor Liao Te-yu from National Sun Yat-sen University led the discovery, which occurred in 2019 during an expedition to Mindanao Island.

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The males of the species had two prominent, deeply colored grooves on their faces, closely resembling the facial tattoos of Taiwanese indigenous peoples.

The male Lentipes ptasan exhibit distinctive facial markings that resemble indigenous tattoos. The species also has several unique physical characteristics, including specific tooth arrangements and coloration patterns. Female fish display reddish patches near their cloaca. The researchers noted the dual symbolism of the name 'ptasan,' referencing both the cultural practice and the fish's habitat.

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The team used the word ptasan as a nod towards the dual symbolism of face tattoos, which used to be practiced by Taiwanese indigenous people and is still practiced among indigenous populations in the Philippines, as well as the geographical spread of the fish, as it lives in Taiwan and the Philippines.

Lentipes ptasan has been found in Taiwan's Shimen Stream in Yilan and Bocay-el Falls in the Philippines. This finding brings the total number of known Lentipes species in Taiwan to seven. Although initially similar in appearance to the protected species Lentipes armatus, the team confirmed Lentipes ptasan as a distinct new species. The discovery was published in the Journal of Fish Biology in November of last year.

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The species is known from the type locality, Shimen Stream, Yilan, Taiwan, and Bocay-el Falls, in the Philippines.