Discovered species of bat that catch fish

For the first time, Spanish scientists discovered that a species of bat in Europe knows how to catch and eat fish with the scientific name Myotis capaccinii.

National Geographic newspaper said this bat species weighs only about 9 grams, about 42mm long. Scientists think they only eat insects, but they were surprised to find fish bones and scales in their droppings in 2003.

Through research, Spanish scientists found that they often feed on wetlands, canals and reservoirs along the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, Algeria (Africa), Europe and stretching to Lebanon, Jordan and Iran (Asia).

Myotis bat capaccinii hunt fish at night - (Photo: Dietmar Nill / Joxerra Aihartza).

' Bats Myotis capaccinii fly low on the water and drop down to grab fish from their clawed surfaces' - Joxerra Aihartza, scientist who tracks the bats' hunting behavior, said.

Some species of bats in the world are also capable of catching fish such as the bat Noctilio leporinus living in South America, but according to Aihartza, only the long-fingered bat Myotis capaccinii has the same fishing skill.

However, according to the warning of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the survival of bats Myotis capaccinii is threatened by water pollution, dam construction and the wetland habitat is narrowed.