Yunnanilus discoloris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yunnanilus discoloris |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Nemacheilidae |
| Genus: | Yunnanilus |
| Species: |
Y. discoloris
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| Binomial name | |
| Yunnanilus discoloris W. Zhou & J. C. He, 1989
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The Yunnanilus discoloris is a special type of ray-finned fish that belongs to the group called stone loaches. It's a small fish found only in one single spring in Yunnan, China. This spring is part of the water system that flows into Lake Dianchi.
What Does It Look Like?
The name discoloris means "differently colored," and it's perfect for this fish! That's because the male and female Yunnanilus discoloris look quite different from each other. This is called sexual dimorphism.
- Males: They have a black stripe running along each side of their body. They also have a lighter black stripe made of spots on their back.
- Females: They have black spots and blotches all over their back and sides.
This fish is a dwarf species, meaning it's very small. It doesn't have scales on its body. Its dorsal fin (the fin on its back) starts about halfway down its body.
Where Does It Live?
This unique fish lives in a very specific place: a single spring called White Dragon Spring. This spring is near a town called Chenggong in Kunming, which is in southern China. The spring's water flows into Lake Dianchi.
The White Dragon Spring is high up, about 1,886 meters (over 6,000 feet) above sea level. The water there is very clear. The bottom of the spring is made of sand with some stones. You can also find different water plants growing there, like Ceratophyllum demersum and Spirogyra.
Why Is It Endangered?
The Yunnanilus discoloris is in big trouble. It lives in only one small spring, and this spring is not protected. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says this fish is Critically Endangered. This means it's at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
There might be only about 500 of these fish left in the White Dragon Spring. This spring has also been changed by people, and other fish species that don't belong there have been introduced.
This fish used to live in Lake Dianchi too. But it disappeared from the lake. Scientists think this happened because of pollution and the introduction of other fish like black carp, grass carp, silver carp, and bighead carp. These new fish might have eaten the Yunnanilus discoloris or competed with them for food and space.
