Pink creature with no eyes found in underground river in China. It’s a new species
Deep in an underground river of southern China, a blind pink creature swam through its darkened surroundings. The cave-dwelling animal was rarely encountered but — when scientists finally found it — it turned out to be a new species.
Researchers ventured into the “rich” cave system of Guangxi several times between 2019 and 2024 to survey subterranean life, according to a study published Nov. 5 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution. They were looking for a specific group of fish known as Chinese karst loaches.
During their searches, researchers encountered a few “naked” fish that didn’t quite match any known species, the study said. They soon realized they’d discovered a new species: Karstsinnectes daxinensis, or the Daxin Chinese karst loach.
Daxin Chinese karst loaches are considered small, reaching just over 1 inch in length, the study said. They have “elongated” bodies with no scales or pigment. Their “wide” heads have a “narrow” mouth and whisker-like barbels but no eyes.
Photos show the “semi-translucent and pale pink” coloring of a Daxin Chinese karst loach. Seen from below, the fish has some darker reddish patches, likely its internal organs.
Like other Chinese karst loaches, the new species “strictly inhabits deep caves” with underground rivers, likely has a small population and is rarely encountered by people, the study said.
Researchers said they named the new species after Daxin County where it was first discovered and, so far, the only area where it has been found. The county is in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and along the China-Vietnam border.
The new species was identified by its fin shape, mouth shape, lack of eyes and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least about 7% genetic divergence from other related species.
The research team included Tao Luo, Fang-Wei Luo, Chang-Ting Lan, Ming-Yuan Xiao, Jia-Jun Zhou, Mei Liao, Ning Xiao and Jiang Zhou.
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 9:06 AM with the headline "Pink creature with no eyes found in underground river in China. It’s a new species."
