Ecologists have discovered a new species of fish called Pethia striata in Tunga River in the Kudremukh National Park, Karnataka. The discovery of the new species was published in the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists by researchers from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) .
Morphological Characteristics:
The male species measures 3-4cm in length and is red in colour, while the female is grey with a striking pattern of scales. Akore, a research scholar took measurements and photographs of male and female species which had striking colours and body patterns. The species was distinct in several ways, but the most striking characteristics were the pattern of scales which form oblique bars and the black blotch just before the tail. “The ring is particularly apparent in both male and female and is distinct in this species,” he said.
Highlights
The Western Ghats which are also a biodiversity hotspot, is currently known to be found only in the two streams of Mudba and Turad, a region populated by wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Pethia striata is found in small groups of 3-4 individuals in shallow pools and would be an addition to the largest family of fish, scientifically called Cyprinidae, which includes common carp, goldfish, and zebrafish.
“Biodiversity is booming in the Ghats, which is one of the biodiversity hotspots in India. Freshwater biodiversity is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world, especially in India. There is progressive loss of freshwater biodiversity in the country and these systems are very badly protected,” said Madhav Gadgil, who served as the chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel which submitted its report to the central government in 2011.
Some of the recently discovered new species in the Western Ghats include a little jumping spider in the Southern Ghats, a new frog species in Central Ghats.
Last year, 14 new dancing frog species were discovered in the forests of Western Ghats.
