Animals paper on endangered Korean fish is retracted

A paper in Animals on spawning habitat selection in the endangered Korean freshwater fish Pseudopungtungia tenuicorpa has been retracted, according to the source data provided for this story. The original article, published July 1, 2023, argued that the species’ restricted distribution in South Korea’s upper Han River was tied to its preference for narrow rock cracks as spawning habitat, with fish nests serving as an alternative site. The published version identified Jong-Yun Choi and Seong-Ki Kim as authors, and MDPI’s article page still reflects the 2023 publication details and study conclusions. (mdpi.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary and animal health professionals, this is mainly a research-integrity signal rather than a practice-changing development. The paper sat in an animal journal rather than a fisheries-only outlet, and it touched on conservation management recommendations for an endangered species, including habitat protection and possible artificial creation of spawning cracks. A retraction means those conclusions should no longer be treated as reliable support for conservation planning, welfare arguments, or downstream literature reviews without independent verification. (mdpi.com)

What to watch: Watch for a formal retraction notice from Animals or Crossref metadata updates that explain why the paper was withdrawn and whether related papers by the same authors face similar scrutiny. (crossref.org)