A
cave-dwelling fish with no eyes and no scales has been discovered on a tiny
island in Vietnam's scenic Ha Long Bay, according to conservation group Fauna
& Flora International.
The
newly described fish, a type of loach, has been named Draconectes narinosus, which
derives from the Greek words for dragon "drakon" and swimmer
"nectes," as well as the Latin word "narinosus," which
means "who has large nostrils."
Its
lack of eyes and scales are actually common adaptations for animals that
have evolved
in the darkness of deep limestone caverns. Like other cave fish, D.
narinosus is limited to a life in freshwater, which means it is likely
confined to a system of subterranean
caves on Van Gio Island, unable to swim out into the surrounding sea.
Posts
