Describe a New Species of Piranha Project

Ivan Mikolji’s motto is “You cannot preserve something that you don’t know exists”. There is a new piranha species that has been discovered in Colombia and is already anthropogenically endangered but cannot be protected because it has not even be described as a new species yet so it is not even listed in the IUCN database. We are proposing a project to describe the species so it can be assessed and protected. This project will take approximately 1.5 years and involve local scientists from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Guyana. We will have to do DNA testing of this species and compare it to DNA of other piranhas. Scientists involve include Carlos Lasso in Colombia, Oscar Lasso in Venezuela, Alfredo Perez in Brazil, Antonio Machado-Allison (currently in CT), and Carlos Donascimento (also in Colombia). We calculate this project will require the extensive time, air travel and lodging.