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National Museum of Natural History

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Meet the Scientist Who Discovered a New Genus of Curious Catfish Hiding in Colombia’s Most Endangered River

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Smithsonian Scientists Discover That Traditional Agricultural Practices in the Amazon Helped Yield an Enduring Crop Clone

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2022 in Review: The Year’s Top Discoveries by Museum Researchers

A humpback whale breaches the surface of the ocean on a sunny day as three birds fly overhead.

10 Popular Scientific Discoveries From 2021

The Volta’s electric eel, Electrophorus voltai, emits the strongest shocks of any animal on Earth. Although these eels were thought to be loners, the species was recently seen hunting in a group. (L. Sousa)

Shocking Study Finds Electric Eels Hunt Together

South American rivers are home to at least three different species of electric eels. One species, Electrophorus varii, named after the late Smithsonian ichthyologist Richard Vari, swims through murky, slow-flowing lowland waters. (D. Bastos)

Fish Detective Solves a Shocking Case of Mistaken Identity

C. David de Santana and his team exploring the Javari River on the border of Brazil and Peru on a misty morning. (Douglas Bastos)

Discovery and Danger: The Shocking Fishes of the Amazon's Final Frontier

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