A dog stands next to thousands of dead sardines washed up on the shores of the Laraquete river, as local authorities say the fish could have died due to a lack of oxygen in the water, in Laraquete, Chile February 15, 2021. REUTERS/Jose Luis Saavedra/File Photo
ASCOTAN SALT FLAT, Chile (Reuters) - At more than 3,700 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level, the "karachi" swims happily in dense salt flat waters, but locals worry a future lithium project will endanger this extreme-environment fish.
The Orestias ascotanensis is a small ray-finned fish that grows to just 7.5 centimeters (3 inches), but has adapted to the Ascotan salt flat's high concentrations of heavy metals and variable salinity.
