The species was found from Nagaland; rivers here are unexplored compared to other Northeastern states, say researchers
Scientists have recently discovered a new fish species from the Milak river, Nagaland. The newly discovered species Badis limaakumi has been named after Limaakum, assistant professor and head of the zoology department at Fazl Ali College, Nagaland.
The details of the discovery titled Badis limaakumi, a new species of badid fish from Nagaland, Northeast India (Teleostei: Percomorpha: Badidae), have been published in journal Zootaxa.
The new species discovered in the state’s Mokokchung district has a distinct opercular blotch at the base of its opercular spine (a bone series that serves as a facial support structure and a protective covering for the gills). The spots on the sides and cleithrum (a membrane bone) and more lateral line scales are absent in this species.
It belongs to the family of Badidae, a small freshwater fish found in streams with slow or moderate water flow. Apart from channels of rivers, the edible fish are found in ditches and stagnant water bodies across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Myanmar. There are 26 recognised fish species in this family.
Limaakum found the fish during the project Integrated Taxonomic Studies on The Fishes Found in The Rivers of Nagaland.
“Badis limaakumi belongs to the Badis assamensis SG (i. e. B. assamensis and B. blosyrus), which is characterised by a distinct, dark opercular blotch,” said Praveenraj Jayasimhan, scientist at ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute and author of the study.
Badis assamensis and B. blosyrus can be distinguished from B. limaakumi by the presence of two rows of irregular blackish blotches on the sides, which are absent in B. limaakumi. Along with B. assamensis, B limaakumi is also one of the largest species in the genus, attaining a size of 66.8 mm SL, Jayasimhan added.
The new fish species differs from other members of the Badis badis SG (B. badis, B. kanabos, B. chittagongis, B. ferrarisi, B. soraya, B. rhabdotus, B. pallidus, B. dibruensis, B. tuivaiei and B. kaladanensis) due to its larger size and other physical characterises.
Fourteen species of Badis — six from the Brahmaputra in West Bengal and B. badis found in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan; seven species from Brahmaputra and Kaladan river and one species B. britzi from Sharavati river of the Western Ghats — were already been identified. The new fish species adds the number to 15.
Speaking to online news portal EastMojo, Jayasimhan said he received a set of photographs of the new fish species in November 2020. However, considering this fish’s rapid colour-changing ability, he requested Limaakum to share live pictures immediately upon capture to understand the original colour.
Fish from the Badis family are also known as chameleon fish for their ability to change colour. This helps them blend with the surroundings when under stress.
However, the initial specimens could not solve the issue, after which Limmakum visited again in 2021 to capture pictures of the specimen to determine the uniqueness of the fish.
The species was unique, and it had a dark black blotch on its gills, similar to Badis assamensis. However, the new fish completely lacked a series of blotches on the body, which is present in the latter, he told EastMojo.
The research noted rivers in Nagaland are poorly explored compared to other Northeastern states. Discoveries highlight the need to increase efforts to identify more unknown fish species.
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Badis limaakumi. Image: A screengrab from the study.png)
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