‘Large’ river creature with color-changing ability found in India. It’s a new species
A “large” creature swam along a river in northeastern India. The animal — and its chameleon-like ability to change colors — caught the attention of scientists. It turned out to be a new species.
Jayasimhan Praveenraj first saw the river-dwelling fish in photos sent by his research collaborator, Dr. Limaakum, in November 2020, he told the Indian outlet East Mojo. He said he recognized it as a “very unique” fish and decided to study it more in depth.
Researchers collected 10 of these fish from a river in Nagaland, Praveenraj wrote in a study published Sept. 27 in the journal Zootaxa. Taking a closer look, they realized they’d discovered a new species: Badis limaakumi, or Limaakum’s chameleon fish.
Limaakum’s chameleon fish is considered “large,” reaching about 2.6 inches in length, the study said. It has a “slender” body with “irregular blotches on the sides of its body,” including a blotch on its gills.
Like other chameleon fish, the new species has the ability to change colors based on its surroundings or feelings, Praveenraj told McClatchy News. It can change color when happy, stressed or during fights.
“They show their best colors when we offer the best environment,” he said. “Badis limaakumi possess reddish shades when we simulate their natural habitat in the aquarium tank.”
A photo shows the original color of Limaakum’s chameleon fish. Researchers said the fish has an olive-green or gray head and a brown-red body with blue or black stripes.
Praveenraj named the new species after Dr. Limaakum, the college professor who discovered the fish, according to the study.
The new species was identified by its size, coloring and the blotches on its body, the study said. Researchers did not provide a genetic analysis of the new species.
Limaakum’s chameleon fish has only been found in one rocky river of Nagaland, the study said.
Nagaland is in northeast India, about 1,500 miles southeast of New Delhi, and along the India-Myanmar border.
This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 12:50 PM with the headline "‘Large’ river creature with color-changing ability found in India. It’s a new species."
