Subterranean Fishes of India & their lairs

One of them is from the Suburbs of Mumbai ! 

Subterranean Fish or Cave fish is a generic term for fresh and brackish water fish adapted to life in caves and other underground habitats. Related terms are subterranean fish, troglomorphic fish, troglobitic fish, stygobitic fish, phreatic fish and hypogean fish.

Hypogean / subterranean means - Under the earth's surface. 

Includes caves, caverns, lava tubes, phreatic spaces & Manmade underground tunnels or pipelines. 

In India, no efforts have been made to survey the known habitats. A dedicated center for biospeleology is also absent.

Limitations are: 

(a) lack of easy access 

(b) prevalence of darkness & high humidity

(c) the fear of unknown and uncertain events.




How do they survive in nutrition-deficient and perpetually dark hypogean habitats ?

  • N. evezardi exhibits reduced respiratory intensity and decreased activity pattern under food-limited environment.
  • N. evezardi is extremely sensitive to its background color. Under black background it becomes dark, whereas on a white background it becomes pale.
  • N. evezardi, unlike its epigean counterpart, exhibits air-gulping behavior. This unique behavior enables them to survive in stagnant hypoxic water pools of the cave.

Nemacheilus evezardi
Kotumsar Cave 



  • Rate of oxygen consumption by muscle tissue of the hypogean fish is remarkably lower (about 2.7 times) than an epigean fish.
  • Loss of eyes help in energy conservation. 
  • The red color of H. krishnai is due to abundance of erythrocytes in superficial blood capillaries to exchange gases easily. 
  • Hypogean species always exhibit lower metabolic rates than their epigean relatives.
  • Reduction in body weight always greater in epigean fish following starvation as compared to their hypogean counterparts. 
  • On the other hand, hypogean fish gained more weight than epigean fish when food was ad libitum.



Schistura larketensis 
Krem Khung



Schistura Sijuensis 
Siju Cave 
No Image Available


Schistura Papulifera
Jaintia Hills
 


Horaglanis krishnai 
Kottayam district



Horaglanis alikunhii 
Parappukara, Trichur




Monopterus eapeni 
Kottayam district



Monopterus roseni 
Periyam Village



Aenigmachanna gollum 
Oorakam

Aenigmachanna gollum


Generic adaptations include : 

• More taste buds & cranial neuromasts 
• Increased olfactory capacity 
• Fat deposits to use during starvation 
• Larger fins for energy-efficient swimming 
• Loss of scales and swim bladder 
• Lateral line to sense vibrations 
• Mouth suction to sense nearby obstacles 
• Chemoreception


Aenigmachanna Mahabali 
Thiruvalla




Pangio bhujia 
Kozhikode 




Neolissochilus pnar 
Jaintia Hills
Largest Subterranean fish in the world



Present Status 
  • These recent discoveries indicate presence of a large, hidden ecosystem in a hard-to-study habitat. 
  • The biological data from India is meager. We might be losing species before they are even discovered. 
  • Poor governance, overexploitation of groundwater & wells running dry due to droughts are threats to the survival. 
  • Degradation of forests & wetlands due to developmental activities prevent Groundwater Recharge. 


Rakthamichthys mumba 
Mumbai 


Raktham - Blood (Malayalam) 
Ichthys - Fish 
Mumba - Local deity 

The new species was found by Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Mumbai in a 40-feet deep well located on the premises of a blind school at Jogeshwari West, Mumbai City in 2019. Also called as the Mumbai Blind Eel. It’s present known habitat is only the Mumbai well. 


About the Compiler: 

I loved animals since I was a wee little kid. I got fascinated with fishes as it was the flag of Pandyas, the rulers of our land. 
The literature available on Native Indian Fishes is disappointing. India is a vast country with plenty of beautiful fishes. The available books are outdated & not for average layman. There is an urgent need for simple handbooks with proper images for easy identification. This blog I hope will encourage us to appreciate our Native Fishes. 
This is my humble attempt to present Indian fishes to a wider audience. in a simplified way. 
Knowledge is Free. 

Contact - nadarjehu456@gmail.com


References 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/300339032_Subterranean_Fishes_of_India#pf7 Wikipedia Commons A live specimen of Schistura larketensis. Photo by D. Khlur B. Mukhim. http://treatment.plazi.org/id/AB5D87EC2A62BF78FF07FD6BFD3951DA https://www.fishbase.se/photos/PicturesSummary.php?ID=62259&what=species http://biotopfish.com/sites/default/files/styles/fullscreen/public/image/cards/rakthamichthys_eapeni.jpg?itok= qxX-UFw_ http://biotopfish.com/sites/default/files/styles/fullscreen/public/image/cards/monopterus_roseni_0.jpg?itok=tpf xn3ut https://twitter.com/FishInTheNews/status/1443128423292055554 https://www.sci.news/biology/neolissochilus-pnar-11638.html https://india.mongabay.com/2019/10/named-after-bhujia-a-new-species-of-underground-fish-pops-up-inkerala/



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