USA: new species of Neanderthal fish is already in danger of extinction

For the first time in more than 40 years, American researchers have discovered a new species of fish caveman. Called hoosieri, the new Amblyopsis species has two particularities: the first is that, according to Sci-News, she has the anus near the head; the second is that is already in danger of extinction.

The discovery was made in the Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, United States, by two different research teams: one from Louisiana State Baton Rouge, another from the University of Kentucky.

The new fish is close relative of Amblyopsis spelaea, a Neanderthal fish discovered several years ago in the same location. The National Park of Mammoth, incidentally, has the largest system of caves and caverns in the world.

The two species are separated by the Ohio River, which also separates the States of Indiana and Kentucky.

The Amblyopsis spelaea has a mutation in the rhodopsin gene sequence, a gene important in vision. His cousin hoosieri, for its part, does not have this mutation, maintaining a rhodopsin gene functional despite the lack of eyes and vision.

The Amblyopsis hoosieri is blind, robust and reaches between six to eight inches. Has a large head, a broad flat dorsal.

The body is evenly despigmentado, including inside the mouth, and rosy-white, coming to be reddish near the gills. The fins are transparent. And, of course, has an anus in the back of your head.

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