So, it’s come to my attention that the koi carp isn't the same species as the other carp species found in the UK. It was recently recognised that they were in fact originally bred from the Amur carp, Cyprinus rubrofuscus, not the Eurasian carp, Cyprinus carpio, as is commonly erroneously stated. This means that I've gained a Scottish species and now only require one more to hit my target of one hundred!
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| Scottish species number ninety nine, and I didn't even have to leave the house to add it to my tally! |
The taxonomy of fish is ever evolving as different studies improve our understanding of it, and on this occasion I’ve definitely benefited from such a development. On a related note, the bullhead has also been the subject some taxonomical reclassification in recent years. What was once considered to be a single species, encompassing several continents, is now understood to be a complex of at least fifteen distinct species. Two separate studies have discovered that the species found in the UK, native to northern England and introduced into southern Scotland, is in fact cottus perifretum instead of cottus gobius. I’ve edited my lifelists to reflect this but as there’s still only one bullhead species in the UK I’m not gaining a species in this instance.
Tight lines, Scott.
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