Mokokchung (Nagaland), 06 March (HS): In an important scientific discovery, researchers have identified two new species of freshwater fish in Nagaland’s Mokokchung district. The species have been named after the son and daughter of a late collaborator, fulfilling one of his final wishes.

According to the official sources the newly discovered species—Glyptothorax sentimereni and Oreichthys elianae—were identified during ichthyological surveys conducted in the district. The findings were later published in the international scientific journal Zootaxa.

The study was carried out by J. Praveenraj of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Central Island Agricultural Research Institute in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and independent researcher Balaji Vijayakrishnan of Mumbai, in collaboration with the late Lt. Limaakum, an assistant professor at Fazl Ali College in Mokokchung.

Researchers said Glyptothorax sentimereni was discovered in the rocky stretches of the Dikhu River. The species belongs to a group of torrent-dwelling catfish that are adapted to fast-flowing mountain streams and possess a specialised adhesive structure that helps them cling to rocks in strong currents.

The second species, Oreichthys elianae, was found in a tributary of the Tsurang River. The small fish, measuring just over 2.5 cm in length, is identified by its bright red fins and a prominent black blotch at the base of its tail.

Scientists noted that the discovery adds to the aquatic biodiversity of the Brahmaputra river basin and highlights the ecological richness of Nagaland, which lies at the junction of the Eastern Himalaya and Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots.---------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash