New catfish species discovered in Aruchal

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, Dec 24: Scientists from Aruchal Pradesh regiol centre of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new species of glyptosternine catfish, christened as Exostoma Tenuicaudata.

The discovery has been published in Zootaxa, a New Zealand-based science jourl.

A team of scientists from ZSI here caught the species from Siang river in Upper Siang district recently, the report published in the jourl said.

This is only one of nine species under the Exostoma genus found in the world and the second discovery under the genus in over a century.

Glyptosternines are highly specialized sisorid catfishes with greatly depressed body profiles; enlarged, horizontally extended paired fins, modified for adhesion, typically inhabiting torrential waters in rocky mountain streams and rivers.

The genus Exostoma is distinguished from other glyptosternines in having a continuous post-labial groove in the lower jaw; gill openings not extending onto venter; teeth in upper and lower jaws homodont and oar-shaped, flattened distally; tooth patches in upper jaw separated, not produced posteriorly at sides; 10–11 (10–12 herein) branched pectoral fin rays; the dilator opercula and levator opercula isolated; anterior end of sternohyoideus broad, its width almost equal to width of this muscle in axilla of pectoral fin; and adductor pelvicalis superficialis partially contacting with its antimere in the midline, the report added.

“Aruchal’s rich biodiversity has not been explored as yet,” ZSI officer in charge Dr Bikramjit SAinha who led the team said and advocated complete documentation.

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com