ROOPAK GOSWAMI
Shillong, Nov 19: A new species of freshwater fish discovered recently from the Lakroh village in the West Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya has been named after the ‘War-Jaintias’ – the local tribal community. The discovery was made jointly by researchers from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kochi, and the Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi NCR.
The research team led by Lekiningroy Dann, a Meghalayan PhD student based at KUFOS, discovered the new species, Oreichthys warjaintia from the Pyrngang stream, near Lakroh village in West Jaintia Hills District. The Pyrngang stream originates from the hills of Amlanai village (a few kilometres from the international border), and flows towards Bangladesh to meet the Boro Gang River, a tributary of Surma–Meghna. The scientific paper announcing this discovery was published today in the ‘Journal of Fish Biology’, one of the world’s leading journals in the field of fish and fisheries science.
The fish species is distinguished by unique characteristics such as a complete lateral line with 25–27 pored scales, a deep body, and a striking coloration pattern
“Meghalaya continues to remain one of the most poorly-known states with regard to freshwater fish diversity, and as a local researcher I am keen to document the fish species of the region using advanced taxonomic approaches, and develop strategies to conserve them, said Lekiningroy. Discovery of this small, cyprinid fish from the Jaintia Hills, that has escaped the eyes of previous researchers is a testament of this data-poor situation in Meghalaya, he added.
Fish species of the Eastern Himalaya region have been documented for over 200 years, but our knowledge on the fish diversity of the region, especially in states such as Meghalaya and Nagaland are far from complete. Many new species still await discovery from remote and poorly-explored areas of the northeast Indian states.
“Discovery of endemic species such as Oreichthys warjaintia will help bring the much-requiredconservation focus and attention onpoorly-known streams and rivers in Meghalaya said Rajeev Raghavan, Assistant Professor from the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, and the South Asia Chair of the IUCN SSC Freshwater Fish Specialist Group.
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