Koi found in Cork river ‘gobsmacking’ to scientists

Mystery surrounds how a koi carp fish ended up in a fast-flowing, normally shallow Cork river and how it survived after being attacked by birds and territorially aggressive brown trout.

Scientist Ross Macklin discovered the ornamental fish in the Glashaboy River, in Glanmire. Mr Macklin was surveying for the county council and OPW, ahead of flood-prevention works due to start shortly in the area.

Mr Macklin has worked such surveys for the past 11 years and, though he has probably captured 100,000 fish for research purposes, he has never come across anything like the koi carp.