Translucent ‘naked’ creatures found in underground rivers in China. See new species
Between two major rivers in China, a vast network of underground caves and rivers crisscrosses below the surface. The caverns are created as monsoon rains wear down the soft karst rock on the way to the Pearl and Yangtze rivers.
Despite a life spent in darkness, countless creatures call the subterranean habitat home.
Now, researchers have discovered two new species during surveys of underground rivers and pools, according to a study published Oct. 9 in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
In a cave outside a mountain village, a large pool with slow flowing water was found more than 260 feet from the mouth of the cave, according to the study.
A fish with a “semi-translucent,” pale pink body was seen swimming in the water, and researchers pulled it out for a closer look.
The fish was just longer than 4 inches from head to tail, and its body was “naked (and) scaleless,” according to the study.
Down the back of the fish were “irregular dark brownish brown patches” that started at the head, researchers said.
The species also has three pairs of barbels, the whisker-like protrusions on the front of the face similar to catfish, according to the study.
The fish was named Triplophysa ziyunensis, or the Ziyun high-plateau loach, after the county where it was found, according to the study.
A second, related new species was found in an underground river that feeds into a cave from a river on the surface, researchers said.
“The cave habitat is a vertical shaft with an entrance located halfway up the mountainside,” researchers said.
The fish has heavily reduced eyes, a product of its dark environment, and is nearly 3.5 inches long, according to the study.
Like the other new species, its body is nearly translucent with a pink base and brown blotches, researchers said.
It was named Triplophysa yaluwang, or the King Yalu high-plateau loach, after the Miao people’s “hero” King Yalu, researchers said.
“He was the 18th generation leader of the Miao ancestors in western China and led the Miao people through many trials and tribulations,” according to the study. “He eventually carved out a suitable land for his people to live in near (where the fish was found). His deeds have been preserved in the form of a song, which has been organized into the first full-length heroic epic of the Hmong, King Yalu.”
Both species were found in underground rivers in Guizhou Province in south-central China.
The research team includes Chang-Ting Lan, Li Wu, Tao Luo, Ye-Wei Liu, Jia-Jun Zhou, Jing Yu, Xin-Rui Zhao, Ning Xiao and Jiang Zhou.
This story was originally published October 29, 2024 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Translucent ‘naked’ creatures found in underground rivers in China. See new species."
