Guwahati: Scientists have recorded a rare high-altitude Himalayan fish, Schizopygopsis waddellii (Regan, 1908), in India for the first time, after collecting specimens from a natural lake in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Researchers from the ICAR-Central Institute of Coldwater Fisheries Research (ICAR-CICFR), Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, collected specimens of the species in July 2026 from a high-altitude lake located at around 12,800 feet above sea level.
The discovery adds a new species record to India’s freshwater fish diversity and significantly extends the known geographical range of Schizopygopsis waddellii. The species was previously known from high-altitude freshwater systems of the Tibetan and China Plateau, with its type locality recorded at Yamdok Lake in Tibet.
A member of the carp family Cyprinidae, the species is adapted to the harsh environmental conditions of high-elevation aquatic ecosystems.
The identification was established through an integrative taxonomic approach, combining detailed morphological examination with molecular analysis based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
Researchers said the discovery highlights the largely unexplored fish diversity of Northeast India, particularly in the remote high-altitude lakes of Arunachal Pradesh. It also adds to growing scientific evidence of biogeographic links between freshwater ecosystems of the Eastern Himalayas and the trans-Himalayan region.
The study was conducted by ICAR-CICFR in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, and members of the Shar-Tso Committee, Tawang.
The ICAR-CICFR research team comprised Neetu Shahi, Sumanta Kumar Mallik, R.S. Patiyal, Mohan Singh Bisht, Krishna Kala and Garima. The Arunachal Pradesh Fisheries Department was represented by Pema Khandu Thongdok, District Fisheries Development Officer for Tawang/West Kameng, while the Shar-Tso Committee was represented by Koncho Dorjee and Tsering Dondup.
The researchers said the finding could provide a baseline for future biodiversity surveys, ecological studies and conservation planning in the region.
The discovery also underscores the need for continued scientific exploration of Arunachal Pradesh’s high-altitude lakes, many of which remain poorly studied despite their ecological and biogeographical significance.