(The world’s largest cave fish in Meghalaya)
Lapynbha Lyngdoh Marshillong
U Neolissochilus pnar u dei uwei na ki jait dohkha uba kynrei tam ha pyrthei (world’s largest cave fish) uba don ha ki krem ki kroh, Meghalaya,Northeast India. La ai kyrteng Neolissochilus Pnar ha ka ba la ai burom ïa ka jaka kaba la shem, ha Jaiñtia hills ha ka Krem Um Ladaw kaba markhap bad ka Krem Chympe. La ring jingmut ïa u ha u snem 2019, ha kaba la khot kum u “blind cave eel”.
Blind cave eel kaba mut u dohkha u bym lah ban iohi namar ha ka jingïadei jong u ha ka jngdum jong ki krem ki kroh. Bunsien ngin shem ba bun na ki jaitmrad ba ngi lap ha ki krem ki kroh kim ju iohi dei na kadaw ka jaka shong jong ki ha ki krem badum. Khamtam ngi ju shem ïa ki dohkha ba matlah (blind fish), lane kiwei ki jait-mrad kum ki lymbit bad kiwei kiwei kiba ngi shem ha ki krem.Ka jingïapher jong u Neolissochilus pnar bad kiwei kiwei ki jait dohkha kiba ïa syriem bad u, kum u Neolissochilus subterraneus uba don ha Thailand,ka long ba u don ki khmat kibarit ha kaba ym lah ban iohi, ka jing bym don rong jong ka sniehdoh,ka jingjrong ki tmain (maxillary barbels), ka jingjrong ki shnet kiba don ha baroh arliang ka met (pectoral fin) hajan ka sngap (gill) ha kaba ki ïarap ïa ki dohkha ban ïaid beit bad ban tyngkan ïa ka jingjylliew lane kynjang, bad ka jingdon bun ki nomuna ha ka met (scaling pattern). Katba u N.subterraneus u don shijur ki shnet ki barit ka bynta ba shakhmat (ventral) jong ka met (short Pelvic), ki tdong ki barit (caudal peduncle), bad ka jingrit ki shnet kiba don shadien ka met (dorsal fin). Kumta kane kadei kawei na ka jingïapher jong u Neolissochilus pnar bad kiwei kiwei ki species ba don ha kylleng ka pyrthei kum ki N. hexastichus , N. hexagonolepis bad kiwei kiwei kiba dei na ka family Cyprinidae.
Ngi lah ban ithuh ïa u lyngba ka ka jingdon ka met kaba jrong, ka khlieh kaba heh, ki dorsal fin kiba nep, bad kamet kaba at phylluit, bad artylli ki maxillary barbels. Ki don ruh ki lateral line ha ka met ha kaba ngi lah bn pynïapher ïa bunjait ki dohkha lyngba ka jingdon jong ki. Ki dorsal rays ki don kumba 13 tylli, ki pectoral rays 19 tylli bad ki pelvic rays 9 tylli. Ka met kalong ka ba lieh lane pinkish lane ka jingbym don rong jong ka sniehdoh (lack of pigmentation).
Ka Krem Um Ladaw ka long ka krem kaba don ka jaka rung kaba heh bad kat ba ngan ïaid nang ïaid ka nang kham rit bad khapngiah. Ka madan ka dap da ka um ban neh hajuh (stagnant water) bad da ki maw bad ki lyngrum na ki khlaw kiba hajan jong ka, kumta ha ki por aiom kane ka krem ka dap um bha. Ha kane ka krem ngin shem bun ki invertebrate species kum ki Brown crickets(puit), snail(mattah), shrim (shimprong) bad kiwei kiwei. Ha ka jingdon jong kine ki lyngrum jong ki khlaw (ki siej, ki dieng bad ki sla iap) kiba la wanrah na ki khlaw ba marjan, ha kaba kine ki la long ki jingbam ïa kiba bun ki jait dohkha baroh.
U Neolisochilus pnar u dei u Cyprinid fish uba la lap ha Jaiñtia hills bad haka ba la lah ban ioh jingtip kaba khambniah ha ka stad science (scientific studies). U Neolissochilus u dei u wei na ki jait dohkha ha krem uba heh tam uba don kumba 400 mm ka jingthew ha ka lynter, kumta u la long uwei na kiba heh tam uba ngi tip na kiwei pat ki jait subterranean fish. Bad uba niar ban shem na kawei sha kawei pat ka ri ha ka pyrthei..
Author bio:
Ka kyrteng jong nga ka dei Lapynbha Lyngdoh Marshillong, bad nga dang pule Msc Zoology ha Assam Don Bosco University. Kawei na jingsngewtynnad jong nga ka long ban pule bad wad jingtip ba kham bniah shaphang ki jingdon jingem ha ka Mariang, khnang ba ngin lah ban pynneh pynsah ïa kiei ki ba ngi don ha la ka ri .
Photo Credit – Uros Aksamovic
