A previously unknown species of wide-eyed and puckered-mouth catfish has been named after the 'Star Wars' character it resembles.
The catfish, whose scientific name is Peckoltia greedoi, is known for its large, dark eyes, puckered lips and protruding bristles, CNN reported.
Jonathan Armbruster, curator of fishes for the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, said that he thinks it was the whole package that evoked Greedo but particularly the eyes and the underslung mouth.
Armbruster made the connection in September with colleagues David Werneke, Milton Tan and Chris Hamilton, but like many things in academia, it took a while to make it official.
The specimens were initially found in 1998 by researchers along the Gurupi River in Brazil. Armbruster obtained them in 2005 from a museum in Porto Alegre for a manuscript he was preparing on the genus, thinking they were unusual.
He designated them as another existing species, Peckoltia vittata, in a 2008 paper, although he had not been comfortable with that designation.
He examined them again in September and discovered they were different from Peckoltia vittata and after talking it over with his colleagues they realized he was a clear ringer for Greedo, the bounty hunter from 'Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.'
Armbruster, who as a 7-year-old kid, watched 'Star Wars' in the theater and it was a life-changing experience for him, added that he became a lifelong fan and now share that with his son. Greedo has always been a personal favorite of his.
