Lingnan finds critically endangered Chinese bahaba in western HKSAR waters using co-developed environmental DNA technique

The Chinese bahaba (Bahaba taipingensis), a marine fish species endemic to the Chinese coast and known as the “Panda of the Sea”, is a critically endangered species and one of the few marine fish listed as a first-class protected wild animal in China. Collaborative research led by the Division of Science at Lingnan University has now developed a cost-effective environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring qPCR approach specifically designed for the Chinese bahaba. Using the new technology, the research team has detected traces of the species in western Hong Kong SAR waters, marking the first scientific discovery of the fish in the city in over a decade. The researchers highlight that the technology enables experts to monitor the species noninvasively and to evaluate conservation outcomes without capturing or disturbing rare marine animals, thus providing important scientific evidence to assist in marine conservation planning in China. The study was led by Prof Jack Ip Chi-Ho, Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Division of Science at Lingnan University, and Prof Wang Junjie of South China Normal University.

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