River creature with ‘diamond-shaped patterns’ discovered as new species in China
Near a waterfall in southern China, a “wide”-mouthed creature with “diamond-shaped patterns” swam through the water. Its “large” eyes scanned the rocky riverbed, but it wasn’t the only one looking around.
Visiting scientists caught the river animal — and discovered a new species.
A team of researchers visited Zhangbu River in 2024 to do some “fish surveys” and collected a “batch of specimens,” Lan-Ping Zheng and Wei-Tao Chen wrote in a study published Aug. 31 in the peer-reviewed journal Animals.
Sifting through their catch, researchers noticed a few unfamiliar-looking fish, the study said. Intrigued, they examined the animals, analyzed their DNA and quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Hongiastoma zhangbuensis, or the Zhangbu River torrent carp.
Zhangbu River torrent carp have “elongated” and “laterally compressed” bodies reaching about 7.5 inches long, the study said. Their “rounded” heads have a “blunt” snout, “large” eyes and “wide” mouth.
A photo shows the coloring of the new species. The top of its back is dark brown fading along its sides to become creamy white on its belly. “Each scale on the side of the body has black pigment spots along its edges, which cluster together to form diamond-shaped patterns,” researchers said.
Zhangbu River torrent carp were found “in the middle to lower layer of the river,” the study said. Much about the new species’ behavior and lifestyle remains unknown.
Researchers said they named the new species after the Zhangbu River where it was first discovered and, so far, the only place where it has been found. The river is in Pingtang County of Guizhou Province, an inland region of southern China.
The new species was identified by its jaw, fin shape, scale pattern and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least about 10% genetic divergence from related species.
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 6:26 AM with the headline "River creature with ‘diamond-shaped patterns’ discovered as new species in China."
