Why a Fish Was Named After Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin has long been associated with a particular type of fish for some deeply uncomfortable reasons. But in October 2010, the band earned a new — and far more pleasant — spot in ichthyological history.
The honor occurred courtesy of Auburn University graduate student Justin Havird, who named a newly discovered species of fish after the band after spotting what he saw as similarities between the creature's pectoral fin and Zep guitarist Jimmy Page's trademark double-necked Gibson EDS-1275. "I’m a big Led Zeppelin fan, and I was listening to them while I was working on the fish," Havird was quoted as saying. "The structure that makes this species unique just reminded me of the guitar that Jimmy Page played."
The species, dubbed Lepidocephalichthys zeppelini, hails from the Mekong River in Thailand and Vietnam. The fish is described as a "micropredator," roughly 25mm in length, that is "peaceful both with one another and other fishes." It reportedly eats by "sifting mouthfuls of substrate through the gills from which insect larvae, small crustaceans and suchlike are extracted."
Of course, none of that sounds particularly like the behavior of a rock 'n' roll animal. Still, even if it isn't as cool as, say, the species of spider named after Lou Reed, it's still probably better than having a sea sponge parasite named after you, like Bob Marley did.
You can learn much more about this story, including further details about Lepidocephalichthys zeppelini, at SeriouslyFish.com.
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