Scientists name fish after Obama

Fish named after Obama [Photo: Courtesy]

-Adapted from The News Tribe and Huffington Post

A new species of colorful, freshwater fish discovered by scientists in North America have been named after the US President Barack Obama.

As many as five new species of freshwater fish called darters have been discovered by ecologist Steve Layman of Geosyntec Consultants and biologist Rick Mayden of Saint Louis University in river drainages in eastern North America.

They have named the new findings after four US presidents and a vice-president, Scientific American Running Ponies blog reported.

“We chose President Obama for his environmental leadership, particularly in the areas of clean energy and environmental protection, and because he is one of our first leaders to approach conservation and environmental protection from a more global vision,” the researchers said.

Nearly 200 darter species have so far been found, most of which live in the rivers and creeks of northern Alabama and eastern Tennessee.

As rare of an honor as it is to become the eponym for an entire species, this isn't Obama's first taxonomic rodeo. In 2009, his name was also bestowed to a previously unknown species of lichen. "I named it Caloplaca obamae to show my appreciation for the president's support of science and science education," researcher Kerry Knudsen of University of California-Riverside said in a press release at the time.