MU team discover 5 more new fish species
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Sobhapati Samom

Imphal, October 20 2013: Research teams led Manipur University's Prof Waikhom Vishwanath of Life Science department have once again discovered five newest freshwater fish species in the world this year.

The five newest freshwater fish species are Schistura paucireticulata, Schistura ferruginea, Psilorhynchus homaloptera, Psilorhynchus ngathanu and Psilorhynchus maculates.

The first two fish species, locally known as different types of Ngatup, were discovered by Prof Vishwanath and researcher Yumnam Lokeshwor from Tuirial River in Mizoram and a stream in Manipur's Maram area(Barak basin) while remaining three Nung-nga varieties were discovered by Prof Vishwanath and Researcher Bungdon Shangningamfrom from Chakpi, Dutah and Challou rivers of Manipur(Chindwin basin) .

Speaking to this reporter in connection with the discovery, Prof Vishwanath said that the researchers need to do more (research) work in order to find new species because there are chances of disappearing some species before being discovered.

He pointed out that some of the fish species which were previously discovered from Manipur's Kharungpat and other wetlands in Pallel area have already vanished from the area due to habitat degradation.

Sharing similar sentiment, Yumnam Lokeshwor, a researcher who already has the credit of discovering more a than a dozen newest fresh water fish species under the guidance of Prof Vishwanath expressed the need to control indiscriminate fishing of fingerlings.

With the new discoveries, Prof Vishwanath's team has so far discovered around 70 freshwater fish species since the discovery of Puntius jayaremi locally known as Heikak Nga in 1986 adding to more than 250 fish species in Manipur alone.

Thus, the MU research teams have topped the fish discovery chart in the country.

Last year, the research teams of Manipur University discovered 13 freshwater fish species namely Schistura porocephala, Physoschistura tigrinum, Physoschistura dikrongensis, Schistura obliquofascia, Glyptothorax churamanii, Glyptothorax verrucosus, Physoschistura tigrinum, Schistura koladynensis, Physoschistura chindwinensis, Glyptothorax jayarami, Garra namyaensis, Physoschistura tuivaiensis and Barilius profundus.Most of these species were discovered from Irrawady, Chinwin, Barak and Brahamaputra river basins.

Altogether 368 new freshwater fish species were reportedly discovered across the globe in last year, according to the reports.

Researchers and scientists believed that most of the fishes and reptiles have been already identified, but there remain several thousand more to be discovered.

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