Bizarre “Bird Fish” Found in China

Recently in China, an unusual looking fish was discovered that has the head of a bird. The fish has a head that resembles that of a penguin. An expert from Guizhou Fisheries Research Institute named Yang Xing, believes the explanation is simple. This is a carp fish, with a prominent head deformity.

It might have been caused, when the embryo was damaged early on in its life. According to China’s Guizhou Urban Newspaper (who first reported the news) the fish is indeed a carp. Scientifically its name is Cyprinus carpio. While it is unusual, many who have seen the video or were there in person, believe this to be a half-fish, half-bird creature.

The fish seems to have a beak-like mouth, along with small fins on each of its sides. This gives it the appearance of a partially winged looking bird. The fish has a head, that is also comparable to that of a dolphin or some other species of birds.

More troubling is the fact that this creature was taken out of water. It is unknown how much longer it actually survived or if it was placed back into the water at all. Obviously, a fish out of water won’t last very long! The deformed looking fish, certainly had some kind of early developmental problem of some sort.

There typically are freaks of nature that happen rarely. However, where this fish was found…was from a river within the province of Guizhou in the southern part of China.

Andrew Cossins is an animal physiologist, at the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom. According to him, any talk about a fish-bird is way off the mark. Andrew has previously studied carp fish. He went on to say, that the shiny dome beaked pigeon-like appearance of this fish, is the result of defective cell growth. “A swelling caused by a deformity in the skeletal system of the head region likely forced the downward tilt of the mouth.” Cossins said to Live Science.

Cossins went on to mention, “The causation for the deformity can’t be determined from a photo or even from looking at the body. But it’s reasonable to assume, that it would boil down either to a series of genetic mutations, or environmental pollution in the form of waterborne chemical contaminants that could have disrupted the fish’s regular cell growth.”

In the case of this carp fish, perhaps the developmental interruption, transformed the normal process of cell division in the head’s skeletal structure, leading to accelerated cell production and potentially explaining the carp’s inflated crown. But it’s impossible to say for sure.

Some have speculated this fish is the result of toxic chemicals, found in some areas.

(Source: Live Science)