Pangio bhujia
Anoop, Britz, Arjun, Dahanukar and Raghavan 2019
ORDER | SUB-ORDER | FAMILY |
---|---|---|
Cypriniformes | Cobitoidei | Cobitidae |
Synonyms
None.
Country
IndiaTypes
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).
Conservation Status
TLO [NE]
Museum Holdings
As above only.
Key References
- Biju, S.D. and Bossuyt, F. (2003)
- Bossuyt, F., Meegaskumbura, M., Beenaerts, N., Gower, D.J., Pethiyagoda, R., Roelants, K., Mannaert, A., Wilkinson, M., Bahir, M.M., Manamendra-Arachchi, K., Ng, P.K.L., Schneider, C.K., Oommen, O.V. and Milinkovitch, M.C. (2004)
- Roelants, K., Jiang, J. and Bossuyt, F. (2004)
- Gunawardene, N.R. et al. (2007)
- Varma, A. (2017)
- Britz, R., Anoop, V.K., Dahanukar, H. and Raghavan, R. (2019)
- Anoop, V.K., Britz, R., Arjun, C.P., Dahanukar, N. and Raghavan, R. (2019)
- Sidharthan, A., Raghavan, R., Anoop, V.K., Philip. S. and Dahanukar, N. (2020)
- Britz, R., Dahanukar, N., Anoop, V.K., Philip, S., Clark, B., Raghavan, R. and Rüber, L. (2020)
- Raghavan, R., Britz, R. and Dahanukar, N. (2021)
Biju, S.D. and Bossuyt, F. | Journal Article | 2003 | New frog family from India reveals an ancient biogeographical link with the Seychelles |
Bossuyt, F., Meegaskumbura, M., Beenaerts, N., Gower, D.J., Pethiyagoda, R., Roelants, K., Mannaert, A., Wilkinson, M., Bahir, M.M., Manamendra-Arachchi, K., Ng, P.K.L., Schneider, C.K., Oommen, O.V. and Milinkovitch, M.C. | Journal Article | 2004 | Local endemism within the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot |
Roelants, K., Jiang, J. and Bossuyt, F. | Journal Article | 2004 | Endemic ranid (Amphibia: Anura) genera in southern mountain ranges of the Indian subcontinent represent ancient frog lineages: evidence from molecular data |
Gunawardene, N.R. et al. | Journal Article | 2007 | A brief overview of the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot |
Varma, A. | Book | 2017 | Groundwater resource and governance in Kerala: status issues and prospects |
Britz, R., Anoop, V.K., Dahanukar, H. and Raghavan, R. | Journal Article | 2019 | The subterranean Aenigmachanna gollum, a new genus and species of snakehead (Teleostei: Channidae) from Kerala, India |
Anoop, V.K., Britz, R., Arjun, C.P., Dahanukar, N. and Raghavan, R. | Journal Article | 2019 | Pangio bhujia, a new, peculiar species of miniature subterranean eel loach lacking dorsal and pelvic fins from India (Teleostei: Cobitidae) |
Sidharthan, A., Raghavan, R., Anoop, V.K., Philip. S. and Dahanukar, N. | Journal Article | 2020 | Riddle on the riffle: Miocene diversification and biogeography of endemic mountain loaches in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot |
Britz, R., Dahanukar, N., Anoop, V.K., Philip, S., Clark, B., Raghavan, R. and Rüber, L. | Journal Article | 2020 | Aenigmachannidae, a new family of snakehead fishes (Teleostei: Channoidei) from subterranean waters of South India |
Raghavan, R., Britz, R. and Dahanukar, N. | Journal Article | 2021 | Poor groundwater governance threatens ancient subterranean fishes |