A group of biologists from the British Museum of Natural History made an amazing discovery – a new species of herbivorous piranhas living in the Amazon River basin. When they saw these unusual fish, scientists immediately remembered the famous villain from the cult saga “The Lord of the Rings” by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien – Sauron.

The unique creatures, whichh received the specific name Myloplus sauron, were discovered in the waters of the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon that flows through Brazil. This river basin is known for its impressive biodiversity, with over 600 species of fish, 70 of which are endemic to the region.

What immediately catches your eye when looking at these piranhas is the vertical black stripe running along their side from the base of the dorsal fin to the end of the ventral fin, as well as orange blotches. Taken together, this drawing forms an ominous resemblance to the Fiery Eye of Sauron, one of the main symbols of Tolkien’s famous epic.

However, unlike the ferocious Dark Lord of Mordor, the “Sauron” piranhas are completely harmless to other inhabitants of the Amazon. As scientists point out in the journal Neotropical Ichthyology, these fish are vegetarians and feed exclusively on plant foods, as evidenced by the characteristic shape of their teeth, writes MIR 24.