#DoYouKnow in February 2019 the largest cave fish was discovered in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya it is nearly 5 times the mean length i.e. 400 mm(15.8 inches) in standard length making it, by far, the largest known subterranean fish found to date. #MyGreenAssam #WorldEnvironmentDay 
The fish was encountered by a biologist on an expedition, in Meghalaya. There are many caves in the region due to the abundant karst and limestone, which can be carved by rainwater. And there’s a lot of it—the state is one of the rainiest places on Earth. #MyGreenAssam
Meghalaya has an elaborate and extensive network of caves. Several international and Indian researchers have been mapping the caves since 1992 in association with Meghalaya Adventurers Association and the latest find is part of that project. #MyGreenAssam #WorldEnvironmentDay
The fish, described recently in the journal Cave and Karst Science, may still be in the process of evolving to be a separate new species, says Harries, a study co-author—and could present scientists with a unique opportunity to understand this evolutionary process. #MyGreenAssam
The finding raises many questions, such as how the fish maintain their body size, what they feed on, and how they’ve adapted to live in these caves, which are extremely extensive and deep, many of which haven’t yet been explored. #MyGreenAssam #WorldEnvironmentDay
The fish likely feed on vegetation washed underground by rain, but none could be seen at the time of the visit, says Harries, a hobbyist cave explorer and marine biologist at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. #MyGreenAssam #WorldEnvironmentDay
It was generally assumed that since food is scarce in caves then animals like fish would be limited to a small body size and occur in relatively low populations. #MyGreenAssam
#WorldEnvironmentDay
#WorldEnvironmentDay
But the fish is more than 10 times bulkier than other species of cave fish and probably there are around 100 individuals in that one cave. This throws up all sorts of questions such as what food source is sustaining them.
#MyGreenAssam #WorldEnvironmentDay
#MyGreenAssam #WorldEnvironmentDay
At first, it didn’t seem like the fish could sense the light. However, after a few encounters, the creatures would flee when the team turned on artificial lights. #MyGreenAssam #WorldEnvironmentDay
Light was necessary, of course, for getting around—and taking pictures. Cave photography is indeed tricky, Shone adds, in part because you must provide all your own lighting. #MyGreenAssam #WorldEnvironmentDay
It is a matter of joy forIndia, and especially Meghalaya as it is home to a rare species. It lends a new facet to India’s biodiversity. We are surrounded by many such mysteries, which are still undiscovered. #MyGreenAssam #WorldEnvironmentDay
@threadreaderapp please compile
