New Genus & Species of Blind Miniature Fish ‘Gitchak nakan’Discovered in Assam
In March 2026, a group of international researchers from Germany, India and Switzerland, discovered a new genus and species of blind, aquifer-dwelling (phreatobitic) fish named ‘Gitchak nakan’, living in a hand-dug well in a village in Assam.
In March 2026, a group of international researchers from Germany, India and Switzerland, discovered a new genus and species of blind, aquifer-dwelling (phreatobitic) fish named ‘Gitchak nakan’, living in a hand-dug well in a village in Assam.
- The discovery of new fish species was published in the Nature Portfolio journal Scientific Reports, one of the world’s leading scientific journals.
Key Details:
Significance: This discovery marks the 1st record of an aquifer-dwelling fish species from the North-East (NE) India and the eastern Himalayan region.
Name: The newly discovered fish species has been named ‘Gitchak nakan’, derived from Garo language to describe its physical appearance.
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- The word ‘Gitchak’ means red, while ‘na-tok’ and ‘kana’ refer to the absence of eyes.
Genus Family: As per the researchers, the new species belongs to a new genus within the Cobitidae family.
Physical Features: This miniature fish which grows maximum of 2 centimeters (cm) in size, has a translucent body and lacks any skin pigment which gives it a striking, bright red color in appearance.
- The most unusual feature of this species is the complete absence of a skull roof , with the brain covered only by skin rather than bone.
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