New species of fish identified after 150 years

KOLLAM: After 150 years a new species of fish has been found under the genus Rasbora from the state. The fish lacks a lateral colour band on it and is peculiarly named Rasbora ataenia. The freshwater aquarium fish from Kerala was discovered by an assistant professor and head of Zoology at Baby John Memorial Government College in Chavara. The discovery by Dr Mathews Plamoottil was published in the International Journal of Innovative Studies in Aquatic Biology and Fisheries.

“After extensive research in the area for years, I could find a new species of fish which was named Rasbora Ataenia. The fish is now kept at the Zoological Survey of India’s Museum. It also got a zoo bank register number. The fish has been found from a canal in Alappuzha and is known to occur in this habitat alone," Dr Mathews Plamoottil told this newspaper. The fish is described as lateral and ventral sides silvery, dorsal side blackish green, dorsal fin orange, pectoral and pelvic fin hyaline, anal fin yellowish, and caudal fin greenish yellow. A faint black dotted line is present on the head from tip of snout to operculum.

“The Rasbora species collected from Alappuzha possess the characters of the genus, but bear many differences from its congeners; so it is described here as a new species Rasbora ataenia,” Mr Mathews added. The name 'ataenia' is used here in reference to the absence of a mid lateral colour band on the body of the new fish. Even though many surveys and certain biological studies were conducted on these fishes, systematic studies were found to be rare. For a long time, Rasbora species of Kerala were considered as Rasbora daniconius, which was originally described from West Bengal. Now, a new Rasbora is being discovered and named from Kerala, especially without a lateral colour band on it, he added.