A new species of fish named the Guiyang gold-line barbel was recently discovered in a subterranean river cave in the Wujiang River basin. The finding was published on May 14 in Zoosystematics and Evolution, an international academic journal.

The newly-found Guiyang gold-line barbel. [Photo provided to Guiyang news network by Zhou Jiajun]

According to Zhou Jiajun, one of the major researchers of the fish, the Guiyang gold-line barbel is blind, with its eyeballs over time having degenerated into a spot without a complete eyeball structure or having disappeared and become buried under the skin. Its body is pink overall with transparent fins and its scales that have degenerated, with some buried under the skin.

Based on morphological and molecular systematic biology, the research shows that the Guiyang gold-line barbel is distinct from other species in the gold-line barbel genus – unique to China and representing the most diverse groups of cave fish in the country.

Most notably, the discovery of the Guiyang gold-line barbel confirms the speculation that the gold-line barbel genus inhabits the unexplored areas within the vast karst landscapes of the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River in China.

At present, it's estimated that the population of the Guiyang gold-line barbel is very small, with only 25 individuals recorded, and recent monitoring has also shown a decline in its population. In response, experts have recommended implementing conservation measures to protect its habitat.