Context
Researchers from the PAGR Centre of ICAR–National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR–NBFGR), Kochi, have recently identified a new freshwater fish species, Labeo kaage, in the Shivanasamudra stretch of the Cauvery River basin in Mandya district, Karnataka.
About Labeo Kaage
- The species name kaage comes from the Kannada word for “crow,” referring to the fish’s dark-coloured body, and it is locally called kaage meenu in Karnataka.
- This discovery is part of a broader group of recently identified dark-coloured Labeo species reported from the Western Ghats region.
Recent Related Discoveries
- In Kerala’s Chalakkudy River, researchers earlier discovered another species named Labeo chekida, which is locally known as kaka chekida.
- Another species, Labeo uru, was identified from the Chandragiri River in Kerala and was named after the traditional Malabar wooden boat (uru), inspired by its elongated, sail-like fins.
- These findings were also made by the same research team working on freshwater fish diversity in the region.
- Scientists have also resolved a long-standing classification issue by clarifying the identity of Labeo nigrescens, commonly referred to as the “Dark Labeo.”
- This species was originally described in 1870, and its proper classification had remained uncertain for a long time.
- The clarification has helped settle taxonomic confusion within this group of dark-coloured Labeo fishes.
