Rumor – Biologists have found a new species of fish in Venezuela called Bonnie Blue.
Analysis
The universe of scientific discoveries frequently captures people’s imagination on social media, generating great engagement around mysteries of nature. Now, a curious image has begun to circulate heavily on social media in recent days, accompanied by a story that mixes marine biology, scientific discovery, and unusual suggestions from the internet.
According to the publications, researchers have reportedly found a new species of fish on the coast of Venezuela and are analyzing what official name to give the animal. The detail that caught the attention of internet users was the supposed nickname attributed to the fish. Several messages state that internet users began suggesting the name “Bonnie Blue”, in reference to the creature’s bluish coloration.
The photograph shared alongside the text also became a topic of discussion due to the unusual shape of the alleged marine animal, which is similar to the female sexual organ. Read the message circulating online:
An incredible discovery has just caught the attention of scientists. Marine biologists have found a new species of fish on the coast of Venezuela that has not yet received an official name. While researchers study its characteristics to define the correct classification, the internet has already begun to create its own suggestions. The name that went most viral was “Bonnie Blue”, inspired by the intense blue coloration that covers almost the entire body of the fish. But the big question is: will scientists accept the internet’s idea or choose a totally different name?
Fact-Check
The publication went viral precisely because it mixes a supposed scientific discovery with a very unusual image. Given the repercussions, we will answer the following questions: 1) Did biologists discover a new species of fish in Venezuela called Bonnie Blue? 2) How was the image of the Venezuelan fish named Bonnie Blue made? 3) Are there similar fake news stories out there?
Did biologists discover a new species of fish in Venezuela called Bonnie Blue?
There has been no discovery of a new fish species with these characteristics in Venezuela. This is a completely fabricated story. In reality, the name mentioned in the posts belongs to a British adult content creator who has accumulated global notoriety recently due to some controversies. The young woman was even detained by local authorities in Indonesia on charges of violating laws related to moral crimes and the production of pornographic material, as reported by Euronews.
Furthermore, the central figure of the rumor returned to the international press spotlight after announcing a pregnancy resulting from a controversial event involving hundreds of consecutive partners, a fact that resonated in entertainment portals, such as media outlets. The entire narrative about the marine environment was created solely to make a pun on the influencer’s name and the suggestive shape of the generated image.
How was the image of the Venezuelan fish named Bonnie Blue made?
The visual representation accompanying the messages is not a photograph of a real living being. It is a digital illustration generated by Artificial Intelligence tools. The file was deliberately programmed to feature traits resembling the anatomy of the female sexual organ, a common tactic used on the internet to shock the audience, generate clicks, and cause the content to be shared en masse in a humorous or malicious way.
Are there similar fake news stories out there?
Yes, the use of bizarre marine creatures or impossible aquatic phenomena is a recurring formula in the creation of internet rumors. Boatos.org itself has already debunked several similar cases that used comparable strategies. A classic example involved misleading content showing a supposed rain of fish that allegedly occurred in the city of Nice, France, using out-of-context videos to deceive internet users.
Another rumor with a major impact wrongly claimed that a giant aquarium had exploded inside a shopping mall in the United States, spreading panic with manipulated images. There are also historical fictional cases falsely brought back, such as the legend that a fisherman named Henry Wilson had captured a bizarre creature in the waters of the North Atlantic in 1925. All of these stories follow the same logic of mixing fantastic elements with a false journalistic or scientific veneer.
Conclusion
It is false that biologists have discovered a new species of fish in Venezuela called Bonnie Blue. The viral image does not depict a real animal and was created by artificial intelligence to generate buzz on social media. Furthermore, the name used refers to the British influencer Bonnie Blue, which reinforces the humorous and provocative nature of the hoax.
Fake news ❌
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