IT News
Imphal, Sept 27:
Manipur researcher led Assam Don Bosco University team discovered a new fish species from Ñiangdai, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River in Meghalaya state. The researchers -Yumnam Lokeshwor(Corresponding author)along with Ibansiewdor Marngar & Batngenlang Mawlong of ADBU spotted the new fish species and published a scientific paper in this regard on September 13 this year in the Zootaxa-a Mega journal for zoological taxonomists in the world.
The finger size orange to pinkish cream fish with eye pupil black with light grey ring, was named Garra dohjei (with Khasi dialect ‘Doh jei’).
Garra dohjei males with slender bodies are smaller than females with prominent tubercles in the transverse lobe. Females with wider bodies than males at dorsal-fin origin. Males distinguished from females in having deeper body, narrower body at anal-fin origin, and longer preanus distance.
Speaking to this reporter, the corresponding author of the scientific paper -Yumnam Lokeshwor who have so far discovered 20 new fishes from Northeastern states,said that most Garra species described from Northeastern India lack information on sexual dimorphism, and therefore it is also likely that several species described as new could be misidentification of males and females of the same species.
Informing that discovery of Garra dohjei raises the number of Garra species occurring in Meghalaya to seven, but is the only species of Garra with incipient proboscis known from this State, Lokeshwor who has been recently appointed in an University here observed that a systematic and comprehensive review of members of the genus Garra from Northeastern India using integrative taxonomy is therefore urgently required.
Garra dohjei, is distinguished from its congeners by having a black spot immediately anterior to upper angle of gill opening, 5–6 dark black stripes on caudal peduncle and well developed transverse lobe with 9–12 low minute tubercles, is discovered from Ñiangdai, a small tributary of the Brahmaputra River along its southern basin at Ñiangdai village under Ri-bhoi district about 25.7 km away from Shillong.
So far 10 Garra species (Garra alticaputus, G. arupi, G. dengba, G. kalpangi, G. kimini, G. langlungensis, G. magnacavus, G. magnidiscus, G. minimus and G. nigricauda) of Garra with incipient proboscis have been described from the Brahmaputra River system, 3 species (Garra elongata, G. gravelyi and G. rotundinasus) from the Chindwin-Irrawaddy River system and a single species (G. khawbungi) from the Kaladan River system.
