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ICAR-NBFGR's PAGR Centre Discovers Two New Freshwater Fish Species in Western Ghats.

Environment | Dated: 27 Apr 2025

In April 2025, the Centre for Peninsular Aquatic Genetic Resources (PAGR), located in Kochi (Kerala), a regional unit of the Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)-based ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR), identified two new freshwater fish species: 'Labeo uru' and 'Labeo chekida' from the rivers of the Western Ghats.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - The findings, published in the Indian Journal of Fisheries, emphasize the urgent need for conservation efforts against threats like dams and habitat destruction.
  • - The research team, led by V.S. Basheer, resolved a 150-year-old taxonomic confusion surrounding Labeo nigrescens (Rohu), first described in 1870, through detailed morphological analysis of historical specimens and fresh samples from rivers in Kerala and Karnataka.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) Labeo uru was discovered in the Chandragiri River (Karnataka). The species was named after a traditional wooden dhow ('uru'), due to its sail-like elongated dorsal fin.
  • (ii) Labeo chekida, a small, dark-bodied fish, was identified in the Chalakudy River (Kerala) and is locally known as "kaka chekida".
  • (iii) Both species are endemic to their respective river systems, highlighting the unique aquatic biodiversity of the region.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Recently, in which region were two new freshwater fish species discovered by ICAR-NBFGR’s PAGR Centre?

Correct Answer: Western Ghats

🚀 Quick Recap: