Exostoma nasibarbatum: Scientists Discover New Catfish Species in Manipur

Exostoma nasibarbatum Latest News

A new species of rare glyptosternine catfish, named Exostoma nasibarbatum, has been recently identified in Manipur.

About Exostoma nasibarbatum

• It is a new species of catfish. 
• It was discovered in Manipur, during a survey of the Bupal stream, a tributary of the Dujang River in the Chindwin river system along the Myanmar border. 
• It inhabits fast-flowing, turbulent streams characterised by boulders and rocky substrates. 
• The species has several morphological adaptations that enable it to survive in fast-flowing waters. 
  • These include a strongly flattened head and body, enlarged paired fins with adhesive striae, and flattened maxillary barbels that aid attachment to rocky substrates. 
• The species has been named nasibarbatum in reference to its prominent nasal barbel, which extends beyond the posterior margin of the orbit. 
  • The name combines the Latin words nasus, meaning nose, and barba, meaning beard, referring to the elongated, tactile sensory organ located near the nostril. 
• It belongs to the genus Exostoma.
  • Exostoma is a genus of sisorid catfishes native to Asia. 
  • Sisorid catfishes are freshwater catfishes belonging to the family Sisoridae, under the order Siluriformes. 
  • 23 valid species are currently recognised within the genus, distributed across major river systems in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. 
  • Of these, seven are considered valid species in the Chindwin-Irrawaddy drainage. 

News: AT

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