Imphal: A new species of freshwater fish found in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra by scientists was named after a well-known professor of Manipur University.
The new species discovered by Maharashtra and Kerala scientists is called “Waikhomia hira” and the word “Waikhomia” is derived from the surname of Professor Waikhom Vishwanath who is a well-known taxonomist at the department of life sciences of Manipur University.
“The name ‘Waikhomia’ for the new genus is a tribute to Professor Vishwanath Waikhom for his exemplary contributions to improving our knowledge on freshwater fish of north-east India, and for promoting fish taxonomy as a science in the country,” said Dr. Rajeev Raghavan, an assistant professor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS).
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“Professor Vishwanath has discovered and described the maximum number of freshwater fishes than any other living fish taxonomist in India,” he added.
Professor Vishwanath’s team has so far discovered close to 100 species of freshwater fish since the discovery of Puntius jayaremi locally known as Heikak Nga in 1986 and his team has added over 200 species of fish from Manipur alone.
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