‘Large’-eyed creature — found in pitch black vertical cave — is new species in China

In the mountainous farmland of southern China, a cave is nestled between fields of maize, wheat and potatoes.

It is the only vertical cave in the region and about 80 feet from the entrance, a small pool rests in complete darkness.

It was here that researchers surveying cave environments in 2021 noticed an unfamiliar-looking, light-colored fish swimming in the water, according to an Oct. 3 study published in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.

The fish was about 9.5 inches long with a short, “U-shaped” snout and hunched back, according to the study.

Despite living in a completely dark environment, the fish have “large” eyes that take up about a quarter of their total head size, researchers said.

Genetic material collected from the fish confirmed what the researchers suspected: This was a new species.

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Sinocyclocheilus xiejiahuai, or Xie’s golden-lined fish, was named after Jia-Hua Xie, a professor at Guizhou Normal University whose work “has been an important contribution to the study of zoology in Guizhou, especially the conservation of critically endangered species,” researchers said. (etymology)

Xie’s golden-lined fish has two pairs of barbels, or whisker-like protrusions, on its face but is missing the “horn-like structures” on the head that are found on other related species, according to the study. (diagnosis)

“Given that its habitat borders the urban area of Panzhou, which is experiencing rapid urbanization, there is a significant risk of habitat disturbance and destruction in the near future,” researchers said. “In the last five years, we have conducted a total of 16 field surveys at the type locality, and no new individuals have been detected except for the first one, suggesting that the population size of this species is very small.”

The fish’s genus, Sinocyclocheilus, was added to a national registry of species protected by the China government in 2021, according to the study, meaning the new species also has legal protection in the country.

Researchers said declining water in caves, use of pesticides, trash and land urbanization all threaten the fish, and they suggest the Xie’s golden-lined fish should be listed as an endangered species.

Panzhou is a city in southwestern Guizhou province in southern China.

The research team includes Cui Fan, Man Wang, Jia-Jia Wang, Tao Luo, Jia-Jun Zhou, Ning Xiao and Jiang Zhou.

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