Shillong: A team of zoologists from Gauhati University and Lady Keane College of Shillong has discovered a new species of cave-dwelling loach from Meghalaya.
This marks the sixth discovery of a unique cave fish species in the northeastern state.
Announcing the discovery in a post on X on Friday, Gauahti University said, “Dr Kangkan Sarma and his team from #GauhatiUniversity have discovered Schistura densiclava, a new species of cave-dwelling loach from #Meghalaya, marking their ninth such discovery.”
The discovery has been featured by a prominent foreign news outlet, bringing international recognition to northeast region’s rich ecological heritage, it said.
Schistura densiclava — a new species of fish that thrives underground but can adapt to surface conditions as well — was discovered in Krem Mawjingbuiñ, a cave in Meghalaya.
The limestone cave is located just 15 kilometres from Mawsynram, one of the wettest places on earth. Most hypogean (underground-dwelling) species lose their eyesight and pigmentation over generations, relying on heightened non-visual senses to navigate pitch-dark waters. Unlike them, this unique species of stone loach has eyes and shows off its colours too.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said these discoveries are a testament to the state’s unique biodiversity.
Sangma, also in a post on social media, said, “Intrigued by the discovery of a new blind cave-dwelling fish species ‘Schistura ‘densiclava’ in Krem Mawjymbuin, a limestone cave near Mawsynram, Meghalaya.”
“These discoveries are testament to Meghalaya’s unique biodiversity and must be further researched. Thank the team led by Dr Khlur B Mukhim of Lady Keane College and Gauhati University for this amazing discovery,” the chief minister added.
The discovery was published in the ‘Journal of Fish Biology’, a prestigious journal by the Fisheries Society of the British Isles.
With a pale yellow-green body and bold black bars numbering between 14 and 20, the fish sports a distinctive thick stripe near its dorsal fin — the very feature that earned it the species name densiclava, meaning “dense stripe” in Latin.
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Researchers said that the fish was found exclusively in a cool, fast-flowing stream some 60 metres inside the cave, where water temperatures hover at a chilly 18°C and oxygen levels are low. The fish’s resilience in such nutrient-scarce conditions is remarkable.
Its diet includes copepods, tiny shrimp, insect fragments, and even bat guano.
