Two New Blind Fish Species Found in Goalpara Wells, Assam

Two fish species new to science have been found in wells in Assam’s Goalpara district, state Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah announced on social media on Wednesday, 21 October, PTI reported. One is a tiny, blind loach named Gitchak nakana; the other is a transparent, eel-like fish, Rakthamichthys anchi. Both live in underground water, and the researchers have not disclosed the exact wells.

A 2 cm Loach With No Visible Eyes

According to PTI, Gitchak nakana is about 2 cm long and its transparent body shows blood and organs, which gives it a reddish look. Rakthamichthys anchi is slender and transparent and belongs to the swamp eel family. Researcher Wimarithy K. Marak collected the specimens. A relative of hers found the second fish while cleaning a well, PTI said. Scientists from other countries took part and examined the fish with micro-computed tomography scans.

A Lineage Older Than the Ground It Lives In

Down To Earth reported in June that Gitchak nakana was described in the journal Scientific Reports in February as a new genus and species. Thirteen specimens came from a single well, the largest measuring 20.8 mm. It is the first aquifer-dwelling fish recorded from Northeast India, the paper says. Molecular analysis places its split from its closest relatives 21.4 to 45.5 million years ago, although the river sediment where it lives is less than a million years old, a puzzle the authors flag.

Why the Wells Stay Unnamed

The researchers withheld the exact locations to reduce the risk of exploitation, PTI reported. It added that pollution of surface water can seep down into the groundwater homes of such fish. The PTI report does not name a journal for Rakthamichthys anchi, and no publication date for that species was available. More such stories are in Daily Updates.

Source: Scientific Reports paper on Gitchak nakana. Also based on reporting by The Tribune (PTI) and Down To Earth.

Image: Scientific Reports / Down To Earth.