Albino creature found swimming in river in China turns out to be new species. See it
In a pebble-filled stream of eastern China, an albino creature swam through the water. Something about the scaly animal caught the attention of visiting scientists.
And for good reason. It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers visited the Tiaoxi River several times between 2022 and 2024 to survey fish biodiversity, according to a study published May 16 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoosystematics and Evolution. The area had “not been thoroughly surveyed,” but researchers suspected it had some “undescribed species.”
During their visits, researchers found one albino fish and dozens of similar-looking brown fish, the study said. They took a closer look at the animals and realized they’d discovered a new species: Liobagrus chenhaojuni, or Chen’s catfish.
Chen’s catfish has an “elongated” body, reaching just over 3 inches in length, the study said. It has “small” eyes, “tubular” nostrils covered with a “fleshy flap” and four pairs of whisker-like barbels near its mouth.
Generally, Chen’s catfish has a “dark brown” or “brownish red” coloring with some “irregular yellowish blotches,” researchers said. Several photos show the animal’s standard coloring.
An albino Chen’s catfish, however, had a “generally pink body without irregular yellowish blotches,” the study said. A photo shows the pale fish.
Chen’s catfish were usually found “at the bottom of the stream” and near pebbly rocks, the study said.
Researchers said they named the new species “chenhaojuni” after Hao-Jun Chen, “who assisted in the field survey.”
The new species is “exclusively found within the Tiaoxi River basin,” the study said. This river system sits within the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang, just south of Shanghai.
The new species was identified by its coloring, jaw shape, fins, skeleton and whiskers, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 5% genetic divergence from other related species.
The research team included Zhong-Guang Chen, Yan-Shu Guo, Yu-Ting Dai, Xiao-Chen Huang, Jun-Hao Huang, Jiao Jiang, Shan Ouyang, An-Xiang Wen and Xiao-Ping Wu.
This story was originally published May 20, 2024 at 7:58 AM with the headline "Albino creature found swimming in river in China turns out to be new species. See it."
