Latest news with #ICAR-NationalBureauofFishGeneticResources
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Cave-dwelling fish that can survive on surface found in Meghalaya
A team of zoologists from Gauhati University, Lady Keane College in Shillong, and the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources in Lucknow discovered Schistura densiclava — a new species of fish that thrives underground but can adapt to surface conditions as well — in Krem Mawjingbuiñ, a cave in Meghalaya. The limestone cave is located just 15 kilometres from Mawsynram, one of the wettest places on earth. Most hypogean (underground-dwelling) species lose their eyesight and pigmentation over generations, relying on heightened non-visual senses to navigate pitch-dark waters. Unlike them, this unique species of stone loach has eyes and shows off its colours too. Published in the Journal of Fish Biology, a prestigious journal by the Fisheries Society of the British Isles, the discovery has drawn international attention and national applause. Assam's education minister Ranoj Pegu took to social media platform X to congratulate the team, calling it 'a proud moment for Northeast India's scientific community.' With a pale yellow-green body and bold black bars numbering between 14 and 20, the fish sports a distinctive thick stripe near its dorsal fin — the very feature that earned it the species name densiclava, meaning 'dense stripe' in Latin. 'This discovery highlights the untapped biodiversity thriving in Meghalaya's underground ecosystems. It's the ninth new fish species we've described from Northeast India, and the sixth known cave-associated fish from Meghalaya' said Professor Dandadhar Sarma, head of Zoology department at Gauhati University. Unlike fully cave-adapted species such as Schistura papulifera and Neolissochilus pnar — which are pigmentless, blind, and cannot survive in a surface environment— Schistura densiclava thrives inside caves but isn't entirely dependent on subterranean life. Researchers said that the fish was found exclusively in a cool, fast-flowing stream some 60 metres inside the cave, where water temperatures hover at a chilly 18°C and oxygen levels are low. The fish's resilience in such nutrient-scarce conditions is remarkable. Its diet includes copepods, tiny shrimp, insect fragments, and even bat guano. According to Kangkan Sarma, one of the study's lead authors, the species shows clear sexual dimorphism. 'Males are slimmer with irregular patterns and puffier cheeks, while females are more robust and display more uniform markings,' he noted, adding, 'DNA sequencing confirms that this is a genetically distinct species, unlike any other Schistura found in the region.' The East Khasi Hills region, where Krem Mawjingbuiñ lies, is a part of Meghalaya's celebrated cave systems — one of the richest and least explored subterranean landscapes in the world. With over 1,700 caves and cave locations documented, but only a fraction thoroughly studied, Meghalaya is considered a global hotspot for cave biodiversity. 'There were no visible signs of human disturbance inside Krem Mawjingbuiñ,' said one researcher, noting how seasonal access and the surrounding dense forest have kept the cave largely untouched by tourism or ecological isolation, researchers said, is a double-edged sword — protecting species for now, but making them vulnerable to even minor intrusions.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Schistura Densiclav: New species of cave-dwelling fish found in Meghalaya
A new species of cave-dwelling fish was discovered in Meghalaya's Mawsynram town by a team of researchers from Gauhati University, Lady Keane College in Shillong, and the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources in Lucknow. The discovery was made in Krem Mawjingbuiñ, a cave located just 15km from Mawsynram beside Sohra (Cherapunji). Despite the cave's remote location and inaccessibility, the team of researchers undertook a challenging expedition that led to the unearthing of this unique species of stone loach. 'This discovery highlights the untapped biodiversity thriving in Meghalaya's underground ecosystems,' said Professor Dandadhar Sarma, Head of the Zoology Department at Gauhati University. 'It's the ninth new fish species we've described from Northeast India, and the sixth known cave-associated fish from Meghalaya.' What makes Schistura Densiclava particularly intriguing is its deviation from the expected evolutionary adaptations of hypogean (underground-dwelling) species. Most cave fish lose their eyesight and pigmentation over generations, relying on heightened non-visual senses to navigate pitch-dark waters. But S. Densiclava still sees — and shows off its colours too. With a pale yellow-green body and bold black bars numbering between 14 and 20, the fish sports a distinctive thick stripe near its dorsal fin — the very feature that earned it the species name densiclava, meaning 'dense stripe' in Latin. Also Read: Scientists discover new species of cricket frog in Western Ghats Published in the Journal of Fish Biology, a prestigious journal by the Fisheries Society of the British Isles, the discovery has earned plaudits from across the world. Assam's education minister Ranoj Pegu took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate the team, calling it 'a proud moment for Northeast India's scientific community.' Unlike fully cave-adapted species such as Schistura papulifera and the ghostly Neolissochilus pnar — which are pigmentless, blind, and highly specialised troglobites — S. Densiclava represents a different evolutionary strategy. It is a troglophile, a species that thrives inside caves but isn't entirely dependent on subterranean life. It retains its vision and pigment, suggesting that it still teeters between two worlds — the surface and the subterranean. Yet field reports suggest S. Densiclava may be shifting further into darkness. It was found exclusively in a cool, fast-flowing stream some 60 metres inside the cave, where water temperatures hover at a chilly 18°C and oxygen levels are low. The fish's resilience in such nutrient-scarce conditions is remarkable. Its diet includes copepods, tiny shrimp, insect fragments, and even bat guano — a feast made possible by the web of interdependence between cave organisms. According to Kangkan Sarma, one of the study's lead authors, the species shows clear sexual dimorphism. 'Males are slimmer with irregular patterns and puffier cheeks, while females are more robust and display more uniform markings,' he noted, adding, 'DNA sequencing confirms that this is a genetically distinct species, unlike any other Schistura found in the region'. The East Khasi Hills region, where Krem Mawjingbuiñ lies, is a part of Meghalaya's celebrated cave systems — one of the richest and least explored subterranean landscapes in the world. With over 1,700 caves and cave locations documented, but only a fraction thoroughly studied, Meghalaya is considered a global hotspot for cave biodiversity. The state's unique karst topography, formed by the slow dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone and dolomite, provides ideal habitats for specialised and often endemic species. The discovery of S. Densiclava adds to a growing list of fascinating finds from Meghalaya's caves. In 1998, Schistura papulifera, another loach from the Siju Cave in South Garo Hills, was the first troglobitic fish to be described from India. More recently, in 2019, researchers stunned the scientific world with the announcement of Neolissochilus pnar, a large blind fish discovered in the Um Ladaw Cave system. With no eyes and no pigmentation, N. Pnar was likened to the 'golden mahseer of the dark.' One of the most striking aspects of the Schistura Densiclava find is the pristine condition of its habitat. 'There were no visible signs of human disturbance inside Krem Mawjingbuiñ,' said one researcher, noting how seasonal access and the surrounding dense forest have kept the cave largely untouched by tourism or development.
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
ICAR-NBFGR discovers two new species of Rohu
Lucknow's ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) has discovered two new species of Rohu from the rivers of western ghats. With the discovery, they claimed to have resolved the 150-year-old identity when the two new species were confused as Labeo nigrescens (Rohu). The institute said that the discovery and the associated study was recently published in the Indian Journal of Fisheries as well. 'The ICAR–NBFGR has discovered two new freshwater fish species—Labeo uru and Labeo chekida from the rivers of the Western Ghats,' said the central institute's director, Kajal Chakraborty. 'With the discovery, the institute's scientists from the unit in Western region successfully resolved the 150-year-old identity mystery of Labeo nigrescens, first described in 1870.' The director further explained that Labeo uru, discovered in the Chandragiri River, is named for its sail-like dorsal fin, while Labeo chekida, a small dark-bodied fish from the Chalakkudy River, is locally known as 'kaka chekida.' 'The study also confirmed the distinct identity of L nigrescens based on unique morphological traits. This discovery highlights the rich, undocumented biodiversity of the Western Ghats and emphasised the need for continued scientific exploration and conservation,' said the institute in a press note.
