A uncommon fish species considered extinct for over 80 years was rediscovered in India.
The journal Zootaxa introduced on Friday, Jan. 31, {that a} Chel snakehead, also referred to as Channa amphibious, was rediscovered after it was presumed to be extinct.
The freshwater species was not seen for over eight a long time after the final recorded specimens have been collected between 1918 and 1933 within the Himalayan area of India. However in 2024, three specimens have been collected on the banks of the Chel River within the city of Kalimpong in West Bengal.
Researchers realized that the Chel snakehead was being consumed by an area tribe, in line with ABC News.
The seek for the massive fish continued all through the previous a number of a long time, per ABC Information. As soon as the researchers realized of their existence, it took months to find the fish and make sure the species was not extinct.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is right here! How rapidly are you able to resolve it? Play now!
Getty
“Generally often called the Chel Snakehead, this huge and vibrant species is distinguished by chrome-yellow to orange stripes, a brilliant neon patch beneath the attention, and the best variety of lateral-line scales amongst all snakeheads of the Gachua group,” Thackeray Wildlife Basis posted on Facebook.
By no means miss a narrative — join PEOPLE’s free day by day publication to remain up-to-date on the perfect of what PEOPLE has to supply, from celeb information to forcing human curiosity tales.
The inspiration famous that the latest discovery of “this long-standing thriller in Indian ichthyology reinforces the significance of continued exploration” and “highlights the persistence of biodiversity, even in species as soon as thought misplaced to time.”
