‘Fast' river creature with ‘fleshy' lips found in India cave. It's a new species
In a hard-to-reach cave of northeastern India, a 'slender' river creature with 'fleshy' lips tucked itself under a rock. A flash of bright light startled it. It swam away 'fast' — but not fast enough.
Scientists looked at their striped catch. It turned out to be a new species.
A team of researchers decided to visit Krem Mawjymbuin, a remote cave in Meghalaya, several times between 2022 and 2024 to survey subterranean aquatic life, according to a study published May 23 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Fish Biology.
Krem Mawjymbuin has 'many rift entrances and passages' but generally follows an 'almost horizontal underground stream,' the study said. Because of its location and terrain, the cavern 'can be accessed only during (the) winter' dry season when water levels are low.
Once at the cave entrance, researchers followed a stream for roughly 260 feet. Along the way, they found lots of bat guano, very little plant life and some fish.
Intrigued, the team used a net to catch some of the fish and, after taking a closer look, realized they'd discovered a new species: Schistura densiclava, or the thick-striped loach.
Thick-striped loaches have an 'elongated' and 'slender' body, reaching about 3 inches in length, the study said. Their 'pointed' and 'triangular' heads have 'prominent' black eyes and 'thick, fleshy, pleated lips.'
Photos show the brown, black and cream coloring of the new species. Researchers said they named the new species after the Latin words for 'thick' and 'stripe' because of its 'unique colour pattern.'
Thick-striped loaches were found in 'a small pool in fast-flowing water,' the study said. The fish mostly stayed near the bottom of the stream, 'usually hiding under' rocks, but were also seen 'digging' and 'foraging.'
Researchers described the new species as 'a fast swimmer' and 'an opportunistic feeder.' When exposed to 'flashlights and noise,' the fish reacted 'with increased swimming activity.'
Thick-striped loaches seem 'to have an extremely limited distribution,' the study said. So far, the new species has only been found in Krem Mawjymbuin 'despite targeted efforts in nearby streams.'
Krem Mawjymbuin is near the town of Mawsynram in Meghalaya, a state of northeastern India that borders Bangladesh.
'Subterranean aquatic biodiversity is generally considered to be the most fragile and extremely sensitive to environmental disturbances,' but researchers identified 'no immediate threats' to the survival of thick-striped loaches.
The new species was identified by its coloring, eyes, head shape, fin shape and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 4% genetic divergence from other related species.
The research team included D. Khlur Baiaineh Mukhim, Kangkan Sarma, Hrishikesh Choudhury, Rajdeep Das, Rejani Chandran, Rajeev Singh, Deisakee Warbah, Wandalin Lyngdoh, Uttam Kumar Sarkar and Dandadhar Sarma.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Prosciutto di Portici: A ham-shaped portable sundial likely owned by Julius Caesar's father-in-law — before it was buried by Mount Vesuvius
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Name: Prosciutto di Portici What it is: A silver-plated bronze sundial Where it is from: Herculaneum, near Naples, Italy When it was made: Between 8 B.C. and A.D. 79 Related: Ram in the Thicket: A 4,500-year-old gold statue from the royal cemetery at Ur What it tells us about the past: In the shadow of Vesuvius, archaeologists discovered a pocket-sized bronze sundial in the shape of a ham in the summer of 1755. Nearly overlooked amidst the statues and charred scrolls buried at the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum, the "Prosciutto of Portici" is the earliest known Roman portable sundial. The silver-coated bronze ham measures about 4.4 by 3 inches (11.3 by 7.8 centimeters). The body of the object is crisscrossed by incised lines, and a series of Latin letters graces the bottom right quadrant. On the left edge, a bronze stump indicates that the gnomon — the "hand" of a sundial — has broken off. When 18th-century archaeologists stumbled on the object in their excavation tunnels under the municipality of Portici (later identified as the ancient town of Herculaneum) they initially thought it was a miniature ham sculpture with stripes. A closer examination revealed the object was a Roman sundial — a unique object that has been studied for more than two centuries. According to Christopher Parslow, an archaeologist and art historian at Wesleyan University who published a book on the sundial in 2024, the horizontal lines indicate the number of hours before or after sunset; the seven vertical lines represent months of the zodiac calendar; and the letters below are abbreviations of the 12 months in the Roman calendar. Thanks to one of these abbreviations — AU for August — the sundial can be dated to some time after 8 B.C., when the Roman Senate officially renamed the month of Sextilis to Augustus in honor of the first emperor. Sundials can be extremely accurate, but only if they are calibrated to a specific location. Based on the markings and the angle of the gnomon, which has since been lost but was originally recorded as being shaped like a pig's tail, Gianni Ferrari, an ancient sundial expert, estimated in 2019 that the ham clock was calibrated for someone living around 41°N latitude — just about where Herculaneum is. MORE ASTONISHING ARTIFACTS —Oseberg tapestry: Viking Age artwork from a boat burial that may depict the Norse tree of life —Hatnefer's heart scarab: An exquisite ancient Egyptian gold necklace inscribed with the Book of the Dead —Hårby Valkyrie: A 1,200-year-old gold Viking Age woman sporting a sword, shield and ponytail Historians have long assumed that the owner of the Villa of the Papyri was L. Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, the father-in-law of Julius Caesar, who likely commissioned the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus to draft the numerous charred scrolls that were recently "virtually unwrapped." This may explain why the Roman pocketwatch was shaped like a ham. For adherents of Epicurean thought, the lowly pig was often used as a metaphor, as it was seen as a naturally pleasure-seeking creature. Experts continue to debate how well the prosciutto sundial worked. While earlier scholars estimated an error of only a couple minutes, Ferrari found significantly higher errors, in the range of tens of minutes, in the object's time-telling ability. And based on a 3D scan and reconstruction of the sundial, Parslow determined that the sundial could be used to tell time to the half or quarter hour. "The instrument probably was a mark of distinction and a jewel," Ferrari wrote, "rather than being a precision instrument giving the correct time." This unique ancient "pork clock" was buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. It is on display at Italy's National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Don't miss the half-lit first quarter moon rise tonight: Here's what to look for
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The half-lit disk of the first quarter moon will grace the night sky on Monday (June 2), presenting a wealth of lunar features to explore before Earth's natural satellite sets below the horizon in the early morning hours. The moon hits its first quarter phase at 11:41 p.m. EDT on June 2 (0341 GMT on June 3) for viewers in New York, who will find its semi-shadowed disk high above the southwestern horizon immediately after sunset, according to stargazing website At this time, the moon is positioned at a 90-degree angle away from the sun in the sky, having travelled a quarter of the way around our planet since its new moon phase on May 26. Viewing the moon through a pair of 10x50 binoculars will reveal a myriad of craters and broken terrain features peppering the line separating the dayside and night side of the lunar surface, known as the terminator. The magnifying power of a 6-inch telescope (or greater) will grant an even closer view of the moon's more prominent features, such as the Albategnius walled plain, located close to the terminator just below the lunar equator. Countless shadowed craters line the terminator all the way down to the moon's southern pole, while the 54-mile-wide (87 km) Aristotles Crater and smaller Eudoxus Crater form a tempting target on the border of Mare Frigoris to the north. The dark expanses of Mare Serenitatis (Latin for Sea of Serenity) and Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility) can also be seen scarring the moon's surface, easily visible to the naked eye. The 'lunar seas' formed billions of years ago when masses of molten lava flooded impact basins excavated by devastating asteroid strikes. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the shadowed craters and lunar seas for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Mare Tranquillitatis' southern shore was the site of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, where astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin took humanity's first steps on another world as pilot Michael Collins looked on from lunar orbit in July 1969. Mars can be found to the moon's lower right after sunset on June 2, with the bright star Regulus of the constellation Leo positioned directly between the two solar system bodies. The following week will see the waxing gibbous moon grow ever larger ahead of its full 'Strawberry Moon' phase on June 11, named for the brief U.S. strawberry-picking season with which it happens to coincide. Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Vibrant deep-sea creature discovered at fish market in Taiwan. It's a new species
In Taiwan, an unfamiliar creature began appearing at fish markets and caught the attention of researchers. The specimens were showing up at commercial fish markets as bycatch along with other bottom-dwelling species 'caught by anglers in deep waters off northern Taiwan,' according to a study published May 29 in the Journal of Fish Biology. Researchers purchased 12 of 'reddish pink' fish from the Keelung fish market and have now confirmed they belong to a new species of basslet, according to the study. Liopropoma terecaudum, or the round-tailed basslet, ranges from 'reddish pink' to 'reddish orange' in color with a 'broad deep red stripe' down its sides, researchers said. The largest specimen was a male measuring just over 5.5 inches long, according to the study. Unlike other basslet species in the genus, it has a rounded tail with a distinct 'deep reddish blotch,' researchers said. Based on the other species the round-tailed basslet was caught with, researchers believe it lives along 'the rocky reef bottom or slope at the lower mesophotic or rariphotic zones' — a range of about 490 feet to 1,014 feet deep where very little light reaches. Researchers said the new basslet lives alongside and closely resembles two related Liopropoma species — L. japonicum and L. dorsoluteum. All specimens were collected off northern Taiwan near the 'Three Northern Islands' of Pengjia Islet, Mianhua Islet and Huaping Islet, according to the study. The research team included Chi-Ngai Tang, Nok-Wai Lai and Hsuan-Ching Ho.
