31-03-2025
‘Large'-mouthed aquarium pet turns out to be new species in India. See the creature
Near a village in northeastern India, a 'dwarf'-like creature with a 'large' mouth swam through the river — or tried to, at least. But something pulled it out of the water, moved it around and dropped it in a smaller pool.
An aquarium keeper looked at his newest find. He didn't know it right away, but he'd discovered a new species.
Farham Sangma, a 'fish hobbyist' who 'often collects fish for the aquarium trade,' visited a river in Meghalaya in 2017 and 2020 and found some colorful fish. He collected a few and later sent photos of them to Jayasimhan Praveenraj, a fish researcher, Praveenraj told McClatchy News via email.
The photos immediately caught Praveenraj's attention. The yellow and blue fish didn't look like any known species.
Praveenraj and a team of researchers took a closer look at some of these fish, tested their DNA and realized they'd discovered a new species: Channa nachi, or Farham's snakehead fish, according to a study published March 27 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.
Farham's snakehead fish are considered 'dwarf' fish, reaching about 5 inches in length, the study said. They have 'large' heads with 'large' mouths and 'fleshy' lips.
Photos show the 'unique' coloring of the new species. Researchers described it as having 'saddle-like, pale-brown bars' along its sides and 'bluish shades' toward its tail.
Snakehead fish are 'regularly collected and exported for the international aquarium pet industry,' researchers said. Praveenraj said the new species was 'mistakenly exported to Japan in the year 2017' along with other snakehead fish.
In their natural habitat, Farham's snakeheads live in 'a shallow, slow-flowing stream with moderately clear water,' the study said. So far, the new species has only been found in one river in southern Meghalaya, near the border with Bangladesh.
Researchers said they named the new species 'nachi' after 'the local vernacular name for the species in Garo language spoken by the Garo tribes of Meghalaya.' The new species's common name refers to its initial discoverer.
The new species was identified by its coloring, body proportions, fin shape and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had at least 10% genetic divergence from other related species.
The research team included Praveenraj, Nallathambi Moulitharan, Annam Pavan-Kumar, Ravi Shanthy Naveen, Tejas Thackeray, Rameshori Yumnam and Shantabala Devi Gurumayum.
