A major discovery has highlighted the rich biodiversity of the rivers in Northeast India. Scientists have found a new species of fish in the depths of the Brahmaputra River, naming it Pethia dibrugarhensis. The name is inspired by the location of its discovery – Dibrugarh district in Assam. This significant finding was made through a joint effort by scientists from the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) in Guwahati and Barrackpore, under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), along with researchers from Manipur University. The survey was part of an ongoing study to explore freshwater organisms in the Brahmaputra River. The research findings on this new species have recently been published in Springer Nature’s international journal, National Academy Science Letters. Brahmaputra Still Holds Many Secrets Dr Basanta Kumar Das, Director of ICAR-CIFRI and head of the research team, stated, “Many mysterious species still remain in the Brahmaputra basin. Each discovery helps us understand the region’s aquatic ecology more deeply. It’s crucial to document and conserve these species before environmental changes impact their survival.” The newly discovered Pethia dibrugarhensis belongs to the Cyprinidae family and is a type of barb fish. It is usually found in moderately flowing waters with a mixture of mud, sand, and stones as the riverbed. The species co-exists with several other local fish varieties. The fish has been identified based on its unique physical features: an incomplete lateral line, a prominent black spot that extends across the caudal peduncle (the narrow part of the fish’s body before the tail), and the absence of both a humeral mark and barbels (whisker-like organs) on its body. This discovery adds to the growing list of freshwater species in the Northeast, underlining the importance of ongoing research and conservation efforts in the region.