Wierd-looking fish found in china

Researchers have discovered the appearance of a strange new type of freshwater fish that is "blind" with a horned head structure in the deep dark waters of a cave in China.

This freshwater fish from the genus Sinocyclocheilus in the family Cyprinidae is found only (endemic) to China. Researchers named the new species Sinocyclocheilus longicornus

Almost all fish belonging to the genus Sinocyclocheilus live in or around caves with cavefish characteristics, namely lack of scales and lack of pigmentation.

However, researchers from Guizhou Normal University cannot confirm the function of horns in fish. It is possible that the horns help the mustache as a navigational tool to live in their habitat.

Chinese researchers found a new type of freshwater fish with an albino body and unicorn-like horns in a cave. Upon further investigation, this fish appears to be of the genus Sinocyclocheilus . Uniquely, this fish is only found or endemic in China.

First described in 1939, there are now 76 known species of Sinocyclocheilus . Most have the same characteristics: no vision, lack of scales, and no pigmentation. This condition is the result of the evolution of fish that live in the darkness of deep caves. However, some Sinocyclocheilus fish have horns on their heads.

In a study published in the journal ZooKeys on January 17, 2023, the research team named the new species Sinocyclocheilus longicornus . The name longicornus comes from the Latin words longus, meaning "long" and cornu meaning "forehead horn." This fish has a body length between 10.5 cm and 14.6 cm and has two pairs of whiskers around its mouth as a guide for swimming in the dark.

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Why doesn't this fish have eyes?

According to researchers, the basis of the scientific argument is the process of regressive evolution. And the fish genus Sinocyclocheilus is indeed endemic to China, especially in the karst areas of Southwest China, including the provinces of Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan and Hubei.

" Sinocyclocheilus species have developed eyes and horn-like structures on the back of the head for specific functions," said Dr. Jiang Zhou from Guizhou Normal University as quoted from Livescience, Thursday (9/2).

Researchers found the fish swimming in a small pond measuring 1.8 meters wide and 0.8 meters deep inside a cave in Guizhou province. The team then collected these individuals to be brought back to the laboratory. After comparing the fish with other species that have been found before, the horse horned fish is a new species. This is based on DNA analysis.

“The most interesting part of the fish's body is the unusually long horn-like structure. It's not clear what it's used for, and it's not found in any species," said Dr. jiang.

The presence of these horns differ greatly among the cave-dwelling Sinocyclocheilus species, varying in length and may be branched or unbranched. Because fish species that live under light don't have horns, the new findings have sparked researchers' curiosity about the relationship between the presence of fish horns and the dark conditions of deep cave habitats.

Uniquely, Sinocyclocheilus longicornus has an albinotic body or is not pigmented and without scales. It also has a single horn-like structure. Relatively long, and unbranched at the back of the head.

According to Dr. Jiang, the most logical explanation for the horns is to help these fish "see" in dark conditions. It's like supporting the function of their mustache which is actually designed to help navigate.

In addition, most species of Sinocyclocheilus have organs composed of highly sensitive cells. That allows them to detect changes in pressure, temperature, and salinity through their bodies. Therefore, Dr. Jiang was curious about the horn formation in the animal's body anatomy.

The reason, the unusual size of the horns on Sinocyclocheilus longicornus was not related to other long-horned species. Jiang also guessed that it was because of the evolutionary origins of the genus. Therefore, researchers still need to compare habitat conditions with some other longhorn species to be able to reveal what the mysterious structure was actually used for.