New species of fish found in Morang

By Our Correspondent,Rangeli, Biratnagar, Apr. 11: A new species of fish has been found in the Singhia River in Biratnagar. This species of fish has been identified for the first time in Nepal, researchers said.

The new species of catfish called ‘Amblyceps waikhomi’ was found during a search conducted in five rivers of Jhapa and Morang districts. The fish was recorded in the lower area of the Singhia River in the eastern border of Biratnagar.

The research was conducted in the five rivers flowing in the two districts of Koshi Province from November 2021 to 2022. A group of researchers including Jashang Limbu, Deepak Rajbanshi, Bharat Raj Subba, and Asmit Subba from Biratnagar and foreigners Jinquan Yang and Chenhong Lee has claimed that a new species of fish has been found at the two study points in the lower part of Singhia, Jahadapul and Budhanagar. 

This new finding has been published in the International Journal of Zoology published from America in April, 2023. According to the researchers, the species is rarely found in South Asia.

According to Dr. Bharat Raj Subba, former Associate Professor of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, who was involved in the research, the species was recorded for the first time in a tributary of the Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh, India, in 2016. Since its number is very low and it is not found everywhere, not many details are known. Only five to 10 fish of 

this species were recorded in the Singhia River during the entire research period.

It is 4 cm to 9 cm in length and weighs less than 30 grams, so it is a very small species. Its habits, diet and reproduction have not been studied in depth. Subba said that he was not sure how much benefit people could get from this fish.

Physical and chemical characteristics of the Singhia River water were also tested during the research to find the suitable aquatic environment for this species. 

Jashang Limbu, one of the leading researchers who is currently studying fish in China, said that during the research on the aquatic life of the Singhia River, the external structure and the size of the fins of a new type of fish were examined. Compared with other species, and upon reaching the conclusion, it was discovered that the new species was found for the first time in Nepal. Since after the publication of the findings in the journal, it has been claimed that the community of fish experts of the world has publicly confirmed it.

There are 26 species of Amblyceps genus in the world. Its latest species was discovered only last year. With this new species discovered in Nepal, there are now 270 species of fish.

According to Limbu, out of 118 species found in the Morang district, 62 are found in the Singhia River. It is claimed that the existence of Amblyceps waikhomi has added a new dimension to the world of fish in Nepal.