Channa bhoi

 A newly discovered species of snakehead fish found in India.
Discovered in a small mountain stream near Iewmawlong village in the Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya.
Named Channa bhoi in honour of the indigenous Bhoi people of the Khasi tribe inhabiting the Ri-Bhoi region.
Belongs to the “Gachua group” of snakehead fishes, known for high diversity in the Eastern Himalayan region.
Distinguished from related species by a unique colour pattern.
Characterised by a bluish-grey body with minute black spots on each scale.
Spots form eight to nine horizontal rows of broken lines along the sides of the body.
Exhibits distinctive banding patterns on the pectoral fins.
Phylogenetic analysis shows it is a sister species to Channa bipuli, found in Northeast India.
With this discovery, the total number of Channa species in India has increased to 26.