A new fish species, not previously reported in Bhutan, has been discovered in the streams of Lingshi gewog, say officials of the department of livestock.
The Triplophysa stoliczkae loach
The Triplophysa stoliczkae, commonly called the loach was first discovered in a stream of the Tshoka Tsho (lake) by Phub Tshering, a park guard of the Jigme Dorji National Park, on September 23 last year.
Mr. Phub Tshering was among the team from JDNP, the Nature Conservation Division and Department of Forests, which, on the command His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, had set out to investigate the possibility of existence of fish in the water bodies of Lingshi.
Live samples of the fish collected for identification and confirmation were sent to the livestock department in Thimphu and the National Cold Water Fishery Centre in Haa.
“The fish was identified as Triplophysa stoliczkae, commonly called the loach. The finding was further confirmed by the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, on May 17,� said the director of Livestock, Tenzin Dhendup.
The discovery of a new species brings the total number of fish species recorded in Bhutan to about 50, caught and identified by two livestock officials.
The fish is distinguished by black saddle-shaped bands on the back, spotted caudal and dorsal fins, and spotted dorsal surface of outer rays of paired fins and anterior rays. The fish grows up to a length of about 100 mm.
The distribution of this fish species is found in India, Ladakh (headwaters of Indus) and China.
Although the fish has no economical value, it has important ecological import, livestock officials said. The National Cold Water Fishery Centre will undertake studies on the possibility of its use as an ecological indicator (sentinel species) for monitoring environmental health.
The Centre is mandated with compiling a database of fishery resources and water quality of all water bodies, including fishery development in the kingdom.
In the northern rivers of Bhutan, three species of snow trouts, scyzothorx and the brown trout, introduced in Bhutan as early as the 1930s, were found. In the low levels and warmer parts of the country, where the air temperature is above 290C, the Mahseer is found.
The Mahseer species, according to the livestock director, comes to Bhutan during the breeding season in summer and goes back during the winter.
The other warm water species found in Bhutan are pseudocheneis, psilorhynchus, nemachylus, gara, danius, semiplotus, barsilius etc.
Meanwhile, extensive studies on fish-fauna in the rivers of Bhutan were never carried out before, but officials believe that there may be around 197 species, in line with the fish species found in neighbouring regions in India, Nepal and the Himalayan vicinity. Source: Kuenselonline
