Several views of a Homatula gelao, or Gelao loach fish. Photos from Xiao, Guo, Cao, Lin, Deng, Xiao, Zhou, Zhang and Fang (2025) Gelao loach fish have “elongated” bodies, reaching over 5 ...

Researchers said a “rapid decline” of plant life and the introduction of a new species may have led to the loach’s disappearance. Photo by Liu, Lyu, Du, Chen (2025) In a deep pond rich with underwater ...

Native to the Gila River basin, the loach minnow and spikedace are adapted to the beautiful yet vulnerable ecology of southwestern desert rivers. These rare, pint-sized fish are just two of many river ...

Gelao loach fish have “elongated” bodies, reaching over 5 inches in length, the study said. They are largely “scaleless,” but their sides are “sparsely covered with tiny scales buried be ...