Mr. Luan shows reporters the mysterious creature they found (left large image is a close-up of the creature)The puddle where Luan Xinyi discovered the mysterious creature.
Peninsula Metropolis Daily, May 27 (Reporter Cao Kaijie) — Resembling both a fish and a shrimp, and only able to swim on its back in the water. Recently, a citizen
reported that his child had discovered a mysterious creature in a puddle on a mountain, suspected to be a "fairy shrimp" from the dinosaur era. After careful comparison, reporters found that this creature bears a high degree of similarity to the "fairy shrimp" previously reported by media elsewhere. Currently, several experts have begun taking samples of the creature for identification, and the final results are still under further verification.
"I’ve found an aquatic creature from the dinosaur era." On May 27, reporters received a report from citizen Mr. Luan, who said his daughter, Luan Xinyi, had discovered a mysterious creature dating back two hundred million years in a puddle on a mountain. Mr. Luan lives in Xiaozhuang Village, Xiaozhuang Subdistrict, Chengyang District. About four kilometers due south of their home lies a small hill. "Whenever it rains, seven or eight puddles on that hill fill up with water," according to the report. Luan Xinyi and her father are both hiking enthusiasts, and the small hill in front of their home is a place where they often go to exercise.
On the morning of May 23, the young Luan and her father, as usual, went up the hill in front of their home. "It had been several days since we last went up the mountain. When we got there, we saw those puddles were still full of water, so we thought about washing our hands in them. When I scooped up some water, I noticed something strange inside — it looked like a fish and a shrimp. At first glance, I thought they were tadpoles, but I know tadpoles are black, while these were transparent." To find out what this mysterious aquatic creature really was, Luan Xinyi and her father used a mineral water bottle to catch a few and brought them home.
Luan Xinyi told reporters, "My dad likes to research these kinds of things, and I’ve picked up some knowledge along the way. I remember seeing related reports last year and had some impression. I vaguely recall that something similar was once found in Henan Province, so I looked up a lot of information and felt this creature might be the 'fairy shrimp' they reported on."
Reporters observed that each of these mysterious creatures was less than 2 centimeters long. They swam leisurely in the fish tank, with a dark brown stripe running from head to tail along the middle of their bodies, while the rest of their bodies were crystal clear. Two black eyes protruded prominently at the front end. After observing for over an hour, reporters noted that this creature only swam on its back — whether moving forward or turning around, it never flipped its body over.
What exactly are these mysterious creatures? Reporters first consulted Professor Wang from the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute. Regarding this strange creature, Professor Wang stated, "I’ve never heard of anything like it." It is reported that due to the hidden habitats of fairy shrimp, the chances of capturing them in the wild are very low, and there is little domestic information available about such creatures. Online opinions vary widely.
Subsequently, reporters consulted relevant experts from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The experts stated that, out of caution, it is difficult to draw conclusions based solely on photos. They will conduct a thorough study together with Mr. Li from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who has deep research expertise in this field, and aim to reach a conclusion as soon as possible through precise examination of the actual specimens.