2 hours Ago By Express News Service
HYDERABAD: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has discovered three new fish species belonging to the endemic genus Indoreonectes. These discoveries, Indoreonectes amrabad from Amrabad Tiger Reserve in the Eastern Ghats (Telangana), Indoreonectes kalsubai from Kalsubai Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats (Maharashtra), and Indoreonectes radhanagari from Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats (Maharashtra), were recently published in the Records of Zoological Survey of India, a prestigious scientific journal. This description of three new species from the protected areas of the Eastern and the Western Ghats drew attention to the importance of biodiversity conservation of unexplored water bodies settled in the human landscapes as well as all the protected areas of our country especially from the hill streams of Western and Eastern Ghats.
The three fish species, found in the protected areas of the Eastern and Western Ghats, exhibit unique morphological and genetic traits. These include differences in colouration patterns, the number and shape of lateral bands, the size and shape of spots on the dorsal surface of the head and variations in the adipose crest on the caudal peduncle. Specific distinctions in the shape and structure of the median interruptions in their upper and lower lips, as well as unique band and spot patterns on the caudal fin, further set them apart.
Integrative taxonomic studies, employing both morphological analysis and DNA barcoding, confirmed that these species are new to science. Genetic divergence between the new species and existing members of the genus ranged from 5.1% to 19.
3%, reinforcing their distinct identities. The genus Indoreonectes is endemic to the freshwater ecosystems of peninsular India, and these discoveries highlight its ecological importance. These species were found in sympatric environments, indicating their specific ecological niches within hillstream ecosystems.
Dr Shrikant Jadhav, the lead author of the study and a scientist at ZSI’s Freshwater Biology Regional Centre in Hyderabad, shared insights into the discovery process. “When I first collected members of this genus from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve, I was convinced they could represent new species due to their distinct colouration and body structure. Similar findings from the northern Western Ghats during repeated surveys further confirmed this,” he said.
Dr Jadhav added that while eight new species of this genus have been discovered in recent years, the genus remains understudied..
