Vol. 78 2026

ARTICLES

Schistura kalikholaensis, a New Loach from the Brahmaputra River Drainage, West Bengal, India (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae)

Pratima Singh, Bidhi Mukherjee, Shibananda Rath & Laishram Kosygin*

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*Zoological Survey of India, Freshwater Fish Section, 27 J.L. Nehru Road, Kolkata 700016, India; E-mail: singhpratimakol@gmail.com; bidhi.mukherjee@gmail.com; shiba12345@rediffmail.com; lkzsi5@yahoo.com

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb78.3.002992

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Abstract

Schistura kalikholaensis, new species, is described from the Brahmaputra River drainage in West Bengal, India. It is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters: body with 10-12 black broad bars, the 6-7 contralateral bars before the anal fin arranged alternately and not continuous along the dorsal surface; lateral line incomplete, extending vertically to the tip of the anal fin, with 52-64 pores; a rounded spot on the base of anal fin origin; slightly emarginated caudal fin; maxillary barbel reaching beyond the posterior margin of eye; dorsal adipose crest present and no suborbital flap.

Key words

New species, Schistura, rheophilic, Tista River, Kalikhola

How to Cite
Singh P., Mukherjee B., Rath S. & Kosygin L. 2026. Schistura kalikholaensis, a New Loach from the Brahmaputra River Drainage, West Bengal, India (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae). Acta zoologica bulgarica 78.

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