Discover strange 2012: World's smallest frog
National Geographic Magazine (USA) has just announced the top genital fish species in Vietnam is in the 3rd position in the top 10 most wild and exotic findings in this magazine in 2012.
Phallostethus cuulong is male (photo above) and female (photo below) - (Photo: Magnolia Press / National Geographic)
The fish with the genitals on the head has the scientific name Phallostethus cuulon g, named after the Vietnamese name of the Mekong River in Vietnam. This is only the 22nd species in the genus Phallostethidae - all of them have genital organs above their heads, specifically behind the mouth.
Like most members of the genus Phallostethidae, Phallostethus cuulong has a fairly transparent body and is about 2.5cm long, published on August 27, 2012 on National Geographic.
Phallostethus cuulong fish is found in shallow waters in the Mekong River system, Vietnam. Scientists believe that males have a 'saw blade' that sticks out in the lower part to 'attract a mate ' , easily securing and ejaculating the female genitals during mating.
Here are nine of the most wild and exotic findings left by National Geographic (ranked 10 to 1):
The world's smallest frog Paedophryne amauensis is only 7.7mm in body length found in Papua New Guinea - Photo: Christopher Austin, Louisiana State University
Slime fungus - protozoan with the scientific name Physarum polycephalum - no brain or nervous system, eating yeast, bacteria and fungi - Photo: Audrey Dussutour
The mysterious 3-year-old cat named Venus with half face has orange-yellow hair, displaced blue eyes and the other half face has black fur with green eyes. Scientists think these are signs that Venus's cat has an extra X chromosome - Photo: TODAY Show / NBC
The mature white killer whale named Iceberg was discovered off the coast of Kamchatka, eastern Russia. It is about 7m long, white on the body is caused by a rare genetic disease - Photo: E. Lazareva, Far East Russia Orca Project
Illacme plenipes is a small polythritic arthropod, about 3cm long but has 750 feet - dubbed the world's most polyculture animals found in California, USA - Photo: Paul Marek
Most vertebrates waste urea - a type of waste filled with nitrogen through the kidneys in the form of urine. But the Chinese soft-shell turtle (scientific name Pelodiscus sinensis ) has a unique ability to urinate out through a vent hole in the mouth - Photo: FLPA / Alamy
A 'transgender' lion was found in Botswana's Okavango delta. It has a majestic mane like a male lion, but it is actually a female lion with hormone imbalance - Photo: Deon De Villiers
Discovered at Florida Beach, USA in October 2012, the mysterious giant eyeball is speculated on whether it belongs to any animal, such as that of an octopus or whale. After a period of research, scientists said it was the eyeball of a swordfish , which may have been caught by fishermen, then they cut, threw it into the sea and drifted into Florida beach - Photo : Carli Segelson / Fla. FWCC
The exotic mammal echidna Echidna in Tasmania (Australia) has the most exotic penis in the world with 4 taps. Scientists are investigating why this porcupine animal has such a strange 'that' - Photo: Lucy Cooke
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