SAEDNEWS: Cavefish often have unusual physical traits; in Mexico, they tend to be particularly plump, while in Thailand, they’ve adapted to walking and climbing.
Researchers exploring caves in southern China were astonished to discover a tiny “unicorn” fish. The new species, named Sinocyclocheilus longicornus, belongs to the Sinocyclocheilus genus and features a unique horn-like structure on its forehead.
During a survey, scientists collected 32 specimens and found 15 belonged to this previously unknown species. Its name combines the Latin longus (long) and cornu (horn).
The species lives in total darkness, making its small eyes almost useless. Unlike related fish found in brighter waters, the horn may be an adaptation to life in the dark.
The ghostly-white fish measures 10.5–14.6 cm, lacks pigment, and was discovered in a tiny 1.8-meter-wide cave pool less than a meter deep. This discovery brings the total known species in the genus to 77, 13 of them in Guizhou Province.
The study appears in Zookeys and highlights how cave fish often evolve unusual shapes, from stout bodies in Mexico to climbing adaptations in Thailand.
