Rare Underground Fish Discovered in Assam’s Goalpara, Says CM Sarma

Guwahati: A rare fish species has been discovered in deep underground water in Assam’s Goalpara district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.

“Fascinating discovery from Assam! A rare fish species has been found in deep underground water in Goalpara,” Sarma said in a post on X.

He also lauded researchers from Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Assam Don Bosco University and Dhanamanjuri University, among others, for the discovery.

“Kudos to researchers from Senckenberg, Assam Don Bosco University, Dhanamanjuri University and others for this remarkable work,” he added.

According to reports, the newly identified species, named Gitchak nakana, is a tiny, blind and blood-red fish that inhabits subterranean waters, marking the first such groundwater-dwelling fish recorded in Northeast India.

The discovery was made in a concrete-ringed dug-out well in a village in Goalpara district, near the foothills of the Shillong Plateau. Researchers were able to study the species after locals pumped out water from the well, bringing the hidden aquatic life to the surface.

Scientists said the finding offers rare insight into underground ecosystems and highlights the need for further exploration and conservation of such fragile habitats.

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