Guwahati: Scientists have discovered a new species of rock-clinging catfish in a remote river in Nagaland, highlighting the rich but still poorly understood freshwater biodiversity of the Indo-Myanmar region.
The newly identified species, Pseudecheneis likimroensis, was found in the Likimro River in Kiphire district. The river is a tributary of the Tizu River in the Chindwin basin, which ultimately flows into Myanmar. The discovery has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Ichthyology.
Known locally as Nupedro among the Chirr Naga community, the fish was identified by researchers Y. Shekhumcha and Limatemjen of the Department of Zoology, Kohima Science College, along with Pratima Singh and Laishram Kosygin of the Freshwater Fish Section, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata. Singh served as the corresponding author of the study.
The species belongs to a group of rheophilic catfish specially adapted to life in fast-flowing mountain streams. It possesses a distinctive thoracic adhesive apparatus — a series of ridges and grooves on the underside of its body that functions like a natural suction device, allowing it to cling to rocks in turbulent waters.
Researchers said the discovery underscores the likelihood that many freshwater species in Northeast India remain undocumented despite the region being part of one of Asia’s most important biodiversity hotspots.
The fish is currently known only from the Likimro River, making it both ecologically significant and potentially vulnerable to habitat disturbances.
“Pseudecheneis fishes are commonly known as sucker-throat catfish and currently comprise seven species in India. Most of these species are quite rare and are primarily distributed across Northeast India,” said Dr Pratima Singh.
Dr Limatemjen said the species is likely endemic to the Likimro River.
“It has never been encountered in other rivers or streams. Otherwise, it could have been reported earlier,” he said.
Scientists noted that hill-stream ecosystems across Northeast India are increasingly coming under pressure from land-use changes, river modifications and infrastructure development.
The species was identified through detailed comparisons with other members of the genus Pseudecheneis found across India, Nepal, China, Laos and Vietnam. Researchers found that the Nagaland species differs from related catfish in several key characteristics, including body depth, fin-ray counts, vertebral structure and the presence of a distinctive bony spur near the dorsal fin.
The discovery also reinforces the scientific importance of the Chindwin-Irrawaddy drainage system, which spans parts of Northeast India and Myanmar and is increasingly recognised as a hotspot of freshwater evolution and endemic species diversity.
With the addition of Pseudecheneis likimroensis, six species of the genus are now known from the Chindwin-Irrawaddy basin.
The species has been named after the Likimro River, where specimens were collected in October 2024.
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