One of the World's 'Most Wanted' Lost Fish Is Rediscovered

The spinach pipefish, missing from scientific records for more than 40 years, was rediscovered in the Sepik River in Papua New Guinea after researchers spent two weeks traversing 700 miles of jungle waterways, interviewing fishers and village elders. Fisher Helen Asu caught two specimens using her prawn net, confirmed by ichthyologist Gerald Allen.

The rediscovery signals hope for other lost species, though freshwater fish populations globally have declined 81 percent over half a century.