By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 5: A team of scientists led by Khlur Mukhim, Principal of Lady Keane College, has made a significant discovery in the remote caves of South Garo Hills district in Meghalaya, near the Bangladesh border. The researchers have identified a new species of loach, a freshwater bottom-dwelling fish, which they have named Schistura sonarengaensis.
The discovery was made in three caves — Sonarenga, Nakama, and Chiabol — within the South Garo Hills district. These caves are part of the Barak-Surma-Meghna drainage system. The research, funded by the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources based in Lucknow, was a collaborative effort between Lady Keane College and Gauhati University.
The findings were officially published in the Journal of Fish Biology, an international publication of the Fisheries Society of the British Isles, by Wiley-Blackwell.
According to the journal, the new species Schistura sonarengaensis is characterised by its prominent eyes and distinct coloration. It has 13-26 vertically elongated to circular mid-lateral black blotches overlaid on a grayish-black stripe along its dull white or pale beige body, which appears golden brown when alive.
Mukhim noted that while the new species lacks the typical adaptations of cave-dwelling fish—such as the complete absence of eyes or pigmentation—it does show a reduction in pigmentation compared to its surface-dwelling relatives. Genetic molecular analysis further confirmed that this species is distinct from others in the region.
