Vibrant deep-sea creature discovered at fish market in Taiwan. It's a new species
In Taiwan, an unfamiliar creature began appearing at fish markets and caught the attention of researchers.
The specimens were showing up at commercial fish markets as bycatch along with other bottom-dwelling species 'caught by anglers in deep waters off northern Taiwan,' according to a study published May 29 in the Journal of Fish Biology.
Researchers purchased 12 of 'reddish pink' fish from the Keelung fish market and have now confirmed they belong to a new species of basslet, according to the study.
Liopropoma terecaudum, or the round-tailed basslet, ranges from 'reddish pink' to 'reddish orange' in color with a 'broad deep red stripe' down its sides, researchers said. The largest specimen was a male measuring just over 5.5 inches long, according to the study.
Unlike other basslet species in the genus, it has a rounded tail with a distinct 'deep reddish blotch,' researchers said.
Based on the other species the round-tailed basslet was caught with, researchers believe it lives along 'the rocky reef bottom or slope at the lower mesophotic or rariphotic zones' — a range of about 490 feet to 1,014 feet deep where very little light reaches.
Researchers said the new basslet lives alongside and closely resembles two related Liopropoma species — L. japonicum and L. dorsoluteum.
All specimens were collected off northern Taiwan near the 'Three Northern Islands' of Pengjia Islet, Mianhua Islet and Huaping Islet, according to the study.
The research team included Chi-Ngai Tang, Nok-Wai Lai and Hsuan-Ching Ho.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Vibrant deep-sea creature discovered at fish market in Taiwan. It's a new species
In Taiwan, an unfamiliar creature began appearing at fish markets and caught the attention of researchers. The specimens were showing up at commercial fish markets as bycatch along with other bottom-dwelling species 'caught by anglers in deep waters off northern Taiwan,' according to a study published May 29 in the Journal of Fish Biology. Researchers purchased 12 of 'reddish pink' fish from the Keelung fish market and have now confirmed they belong to a new species of basslet, according to the study. Liopropoma terecaudum, or the round-tailed basslet, ranges from 'reddish pink' to 'reddish orange' in color with a 'broad deep red stripe' down its sides, researchers said. The largest specimen was a male measuring just over 5.5 inches long, according to the study. Unlike other basslet species in the genus, it has a rounded tail with a distinct 'deep reddish blotch,' researchers said. Based on the other species the round-tailed basslet was caught with, researchers believe it lives along 'the rocky reef bottom or slope at the lower mesophotic or rariphotic zones' — a range of about 490 feet to 1,014 feet deep where very little light reaches. Researchers said the new basslet lives alongside and closely resembles two related Liopropoma species — L. japonicum and L. dorsoluteum. All specimens were collected off northern Taiwan near the 'Three Northern Islands' of Pengjia Islet, Mianhua Islet and Huaping Islet, according to the study. The research team included Chi-Ngai Tang, Nok-Wai Lai and Hsuan-Ching Ho.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Inside the fascinating world of India's blind cave-dwelling fish
Two years ago, zoologist Khlur Baiaineh Mukhim spotted something intriguing in a stream in a remote underground cave in India's north-eastern Meghalaya state. It was a fish he had never seen before, with long barbels - the whisker-like protrusion around a fish's mouth - yellowish-green in colour and, most importantly, with eyes. Cave-dwelling fish, or species of fish that live exclusively in caves, usually don't have eyes, as they have adapted to living in darkness, which is why the fish Mr Mukhim spotted stood out to him. Researchers in Meghalaya now say it is a brand new species of fish, one that has adapted to living above as well as under the ground - a unique characteristic among cave-dwelling species. Their findings were published earlier this month in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology, a leading peer-reviewed publication on fish research. The researchers have named the fish Schistura 'densiclava' after the thick black stripe on its tail. They say that the species is endemic to the cave it was discovered in - Krem Mawjymbuin - in the eastern Khasi Hills, and has been found to exist in both water pools 60m (196ft) deep inside the cave, as well as a nearby stream above ground. Dandadhar Sarma, a professor of zoology and one of the researchers of the study, says that the environment inside the cave is harsh, where temperatures drop to 18C (64.4F) - the ideal temperature for tropical fish to survive is much higher - and oxygen levels are extremely low. "So it's remarkable that the fish can adapt to both - harsh subterranean conditions as well as more favourable surface conditions," Mr Sarma says. Schistura densiclava is the sixth cave-dwelling species of fish that has been discovered in Meghalaya over the past two to three decades, but the only one which has been found to show this ability to adapt to two very different kinds of environments. The state is known to have some of the most complex cave systems in the world but many of its estimated 1,500 to 1,700 limestone and sandstone caves remain unexplored, as they are located in remote, forested regions that are challenging to access. These cave networks are home to numerous animal species that display fascinating evolutionary characteristics but they remain largely unknown because of insufficient research, Mr Sarma says. Over the past five years, a team of researchers from the state, funded by the federal government, have been systematically exploring Meghalaya's vast network of caves to locate and document new species of fish living inside them. In 2019, the research team discovered Neolissochilus pnar, the largest cave-dwelling fish species in the world, Mr Sarma says. The fish was found inside the Krem Umladaw cave in the western Jaintia Hills in a deep pond hundreds of metres below the ground. Mr Mukhim, who is part of the team and has undertaken dozens of cave expeditions, says that cave-dwelling fish display evolutionary traits that are as fascinating as the those displayed by animals living at the Earth's poles or deep inside its oceans. "Cave ecosystems are one of the harshest environments to live in," he says. "These fish usually live in perpetual darkness, stagnant, shallow water pools with dangerously low oxygen levels and sometimes, go for months with little to no food." Nature has helped them survive by doing away with the unwanted and strengthening what's necessary for survival. Consequently, they've lost their eyesight and ability to produce colourful pigments, which would otherwise be a needless waste of energy inside a pitch-dark cave. Instead, they have a sharper sense of taste and smell, and sensory organs on their skin help them detect vibrations to navigate the substrate and avoid predators. Their sources of food include only what's available inside the cave, like leaf debris and marine organisms flushed in by seasonal floods, and even bat excreta. And within this extremely harsh environment, these cave-dwelling fish species live out their lives, some living up to a decade, and even produce offspring. Remarkably, their offspring are born with eyesight - a feature that links them to the surface-dwelling ancestors from which they've evolved - and gradually, they lose their eyesight as they age. But searching for these fish is no easy task. It involves rappelling down hundreds of meters into cavernous holes in the earth, squeezing through tiny tunnels with little oxygen and wading through pools filled with creatures yet unknown in pitch darkness. "Our headlights are the only source of light," Mr Mukhim says. Catching fish involves squatting near pools for hours, and swiftly sweeping up the skittish creatures in a net as they present themselves. Mr Mukhim, who has been studying fish found in the caves of Meghalaya for over a decade, says that there's a need to study these species as that is the only way we will be able to conserve them. "Once a species is wiped out, you can never bring them back," Mr Mukhim says. "It's painful to think that an entire ecosystem in our midst, one of the most fascinating ones, has been studied so little," he adds. "It's time we paid a little more attention to these cave-dwelling marvels of nature." Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Miami Herald
28-05-2025
- Miami Herald
‘Fast' river creature with ‘fleshy' lips found in India cave. It's a new species
In a hard-to-reach cave of northeastern India, a 'slender' river creature with 'fleshy' lips tucked itself under a rock. A flash of bright light startled it. It swam away 'fast' — but not fast enough. Scientists looked at their striped catch. It turned out to be a new species. A team of researchers decided to visit Krem Mawjymbuin, a remote cave in Meghalaya, several times between 2022 and 2024 to survey subterranean aquatic life, according to a study published May 23 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Fish Biology. Krem Mawjymbuin has 'many rift entrances and passages' but generally follows an 'almost horizontal underground stream,' the study said. Because of its location and terrain, the cavern 'can be accessed only during (the) winter' dry season when water levels are low. Once at the cave entrance, researchers followed a stream for roughly 260 feet. Along the way, they found lots of bat guano, very little plant life and some fish. Intrigued, the team used a net to catch some of the fish and, after taking a closer look, realized they'd discovered a new species: Schistura densiclava, or the thick-striped loach. Thick-striped loaches have an 'elongated' and 'slender' body, reaching about 3 inches in length, the study said. Their 'pointed' and 'triangular' heads have 'prominent' black eyes and 'thick, fleshy, pleated lips.' Photos show the brown, black and cream coloring of the new species. Researchers said they named the new species after the Latin words for 'thick' and 'stripe' because of its 'unique colour pattern.' Thick-striped loaches were found in 'a small pool in fast-flowing water,' the study said. The fish mostly stayed near the bottom of the stream, 'usually hiding under' rocks, but were also seen 'digging' and 'foraging.' Researchers described the new species as 'a fast swimmer' and 'an opportunistic feeder.' When exposed to 'flashlights and noise,' the fish reacted 'with increased swimming activity.' Thick-striped loaches seem 'to have an extremely limited distribution,' the study said. So far, the new species has only been found in Krem Mawjymbuin 'despite targeted efforts in nearby streams.' Krem Mawjymbuin is near the town of Mawsynram in Meghalaya, a state of northeastern India that borders Bangladesh. 'Subterranean aquatic biodiversity is generally considered to be the most fragile and extremely sensitive to environmental disturbances,' but researchers identified 'no immediate threats' to the survival of thick-striped loaches. The new species was identified by its coloring, eyes, head shape, fin shape and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 4% genetic divergence from other related species. The research team included D. Khlur Baiaineh Mukhim, Kangkan Sarma, Hrishikesh Choudhury, Rajdeep Das, Rejani Chandran, Rajeev Singh, Deisakee Warbah, Wandalin Lyngdoh, Uttam Kumar Sarkar and Dandadhar Sarma.
