Why in the News
On 26 February 2026, Scientific Reports published the description of a small, blind and colourless fish found in a well in Assam. It has been named Gitchak nakana. According to the research paper, it is a new genus and a new species.
Species
Gitchak nakana (new genus, new species)
Habitat
A dug well in Assam (Goalpara district)
Size
Maximum about 20 mm
Features
Absence of colour; no external eyes
Diagram: original table.
What Does the Research Paper Say?
All 13 specimens were found in a single open well. The well is in a small village in Goalpara district (Assam), near the foot of the Shillong Plateau. Given the species' small numbers and single location, the authors have not disclosed the exact place.
According to the research paper, this fish's body is transparent and appears reddish. It has no external eyes, only a small black spot in place of an eye. Its maximum length is about 20 mm. The most unusual feature is that its skull has no roof and the brain is covered from above only by skin.
According to the research paper, India has 21 known subterranean fishes. Meghalaya has 6 species, found mainly in limestone caves, and Kerala has 13, found in groundwater-bearing areas. Meghalaya's cave fishes include Neolissochilus pnar, which the research paper calls the world's largest subterranean fish.
Where Does Confusion Arise in the Exam?
"Subterranean fish" does not mean only "cave fish". Fishes living in cave waters and those living in groundwater (aquifers) are different categories. Also, according to the research paper Gitchak was caught from a well, so calling it a cave fish would be wrong.
The Direction of Preparation from Past Questions:
The official UPSC Preliminary Examination 2023 General Studies Paper-I has included statement-based questions. So prepare the new discovery, the habitat and the correct terminology separately. The questions below are original practice questions, not actual PYQs.
Prelims Style: Practice Questions
1. With reference to Gitchak nakana, consider the following statements:
Statement 1: It is a fish found in a dug well in Assam.
Statement 2: The research paper calls it the first groundwater-dwelling (phreatobitic) fish of Northeast India.
Statement 3: It is a species found in the limestone caves of Meghalaya.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
View answer and reason
Answer: (b) Only two. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong, because all specimens were found in a well in Assam (Goalpara).
2. What does the term "phreatobite" mean?
(a) An organism living in groundwater (an aquifer)
(b) An organism living only in the depths of the sea
(c) An organism living in glaciers
(d) An organism living only in deserts
View answer and reason
Answer: (a). In the research paper, fishes living in aquifers are called phreatobitic.
3. According to the research paper, which feature of Gitchak nakana is correct?
(a) Dark-coloured body and large eyes
(b) No external eyes and no roof to the skull
(c) Length over one metre
(d) Found only in the salt water of the sea
View answer and reason
Answer: (b). According to the research paper, it has no external eyes and no roof to the skull. Its maximum length is about 20 mm.
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