Subterranean Fishes of the World

Country

Types

Holotype: BNHS FWF 980 25.4mm SL.

Paratypes: BNHS FWF 981-996 22.1mm-26.4mm SL.

Distribution

Known only from the type locality: a 6m deep well at Cherinjal, Kozhikode District, Kerala State, India (11°17’42”N, 75°52’7”E, altitude 40m).

Habitat

In common with other subterranean fishes in the area (Horaglanis krisnai, H. alikunhii, H. abdulkalami, Kryptoglanis shajii, Kryptoglanis undet, Monopterus eapeni, M. roseni, M. digressus, Aenigmachanna gollum and A. mahabali) this species probably inhabits very small openings within the laterite aquifer. These are probably of the order of 5-10cm maximum diameter though there may well me many kilometers of tunnels overall. Animals are only seen, and sampled, via man-made well used for water-supply purposes.

Systematics

Pangio ammophila Britz, Ali and Raghavan 2012 is also known from the Western Ghats but P. bhujia is not closely related to it with a 15% difference in mitochondrial cox1 gene sequence (Anoop et al. 2019). P. bhujia is 18% different for the same gene from P. pangia (Hamilton 1822) from northern India.

Biological Notes

Pangio bhujia appears to be a relatively long evolved troglomorph. It has little or no pigment, tiny eyes covered with skin, and a further, and not often seen troglomorphic character, of relatively very big eggs.

Eyes greatly reduced, pigment greatly reduced (GR/GR phenotype of Farley (2021), see also Metadata section for more details of this classification).

Museum Holdings

As above only.