Scientists have just announced the discovery of a new species of catfish in the tributaries of the Congo River, at Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The new species is called ‘Clarias Monsembulai’, in honor of Dr Raoul Monsembula, a Congolese professor of biology at the University of Kinshasa and regional coordinator for Greenpeace in Central Africa, and a former ocean activist in Senegal.
This catfish “is part of the genus Clarias of air-breathing catfish, known throughout Africa and tropical Asia with 60 species currently recognized, 31 of which are endemic to African freshwaters”, explains the environmental NGO international Greenpeace which announced the discovery.
The “Clarias Monsembulai” adds to the already very rich biodiversity of the Congo basin, with more than 10,000 plant species, 400 species of mammals, 1,000 species of birds and 1,250 species of fish.
The Clarias Monsembulai also joins over 128 species of fish already identified in Salonga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Africa’s largest tropical rainforest reserve.
