All species live underground, with one species (R. rongsaw) having a fossorial lifestyle and three species (R. digressus, R. roseni, and R. indicus) being troglobitic in nature. All species display adaptations to this lifestyle, including a bright red coloration and highly reduced eyes.[1]
Taxonomyedit
All four species were formerly classified in the genus Monopterus until a 2020 study found significant genetic and osteological differences between them and the rest of Monopterus, including unique and highly divergent characteristics in the gill arch skeleton. This led to the species being classified in a new genus Rakthamichthys, with "raktham" meaning "blood-red" in Malayalam, as a reference to their distinctive coloration.[1][2][3][4]
Speciesedit
Rakthamichthys digressus (K. C. Gopi, 2002) (blind eel)[5]
^ ab"Osteology of 'Monopterus' roseni with the description of Rakthamichthys, new genus, and comments on the generic assignment of the Amphipnous Group species (Teleostei: Synbranchiformes)". Dr. Friedrich Pfeil Publishing. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
^"Swamp eel: Blood-red subterranean dweller is newest fish genus discovered". phys.org. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
^Gopi, K.C. (2002). A new synbranchid fish, Monopterus digressus from Kersla, Peninsular India. Rec. zool. Surv. India 100(1-2) : 137-143.
^Jayasimhan Praveenraj, Tejas Thackeray, Anil Mohapatra, Annam Pavan-Kumar (30 September 2021). "Rakthamichthys mumba, a new species of Hypogean eel (Teleostei: Synbranchidae) from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India". aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology. 27 (3): 93–102. ISSN 0945-9871. Wikidata Q113367227.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"Monopterus rongsaw, a new species of hypogean swamp eel from the Khasi Hills in Northeast India (Teleostei: Synbranchiformes: Synbranchidae) – Pfeil Verlag". pfeil-verlag.de (in German). Retrieved 2019-03-04.
rakthamichthys, genus, swamp, eels, that, endemic, india, three, species, known, from, western, ghats, known, from, northeast, india, scientific, classificationdomain, eukaryotakingdom, animaliaphylum, chordataclass, actinopterygiiorder, synbranchiformesfamily. Rakthamichthys is a genus of swamp eels that are endemic to India Three species are known from the Western Ghats and one is known from Northeast India RakthamichthysScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ActinopterygiiOrder SynbranchiformesFamily SynbranchidaeSubfamily SynbranchinaeGenus RakthamichthysBritz Dahanukar Standing Philip Kumar amp Raghavan 2020Type speciesMonopterus roseniR M Bailey amp Gans 1998SpeciesSee textAll species live underground with one species R rongsaw having a fossorial lifestyle and three species R digressus R roseni and R indicus being troglobitic in nature All species display adaptations to this lifestyle including a bright red coloration and highly reduced eyes 1 Taxonomy editAll four species were formerly classified in the genus Monopterus until a 2020 study found significant genetic and osteological differences between them and the rest of Monopterus including unique and highly divergent characteristics in the gill arch skeleton This led to the species being classified in a new genus Rakthamichthys with raktham meaning blood red in Malayalam as a reference to their distinctive coloration 1 2 3 4 Species editRakthamichthys digressus K C Gopi 2002 blind eel 5 Rakthamichthys indicus Eapen 1963 Malabar blind swamp eel Monopterus eapeni Talwar 1991 Rakthamichthys mumba Jayasimhan Thackeray Mohapatra amp Kumar 2021 6 Rakthamichthys rongsaw Britz D Sykes Gower amp Kamei 2018 7 Rakthamichthys roseni R M Bailey amp Gans 1998 References edit a b Osteology of Monopterus roseni with the description of Rakthamichthys new genus and comments on the generic assignment of the Amphipnous Group species Teleostei Synbranchiformes Dr Friedrich Pfeil Publishing Retrieved 2021 01 28 Swamp eel Blood red subterranean dweller is newest fish genus discovered phys org Retrieved 2021 01 28 Rakthamichthys rongsaw cavefishes org uk Retrieved 2021 01 28 Taxonomy browser Rakthamichthys www ncbi nlm nih gov Retrieved 2021 01 28 Gopi K C 2002 A new synbranchid fish Monopterus digressus from Kersla Peninsular India Rec zool Surv India 100 1 2 137 143 Jayasimhan Praveenraj Tejas Thackeray Anil Mohapatra Annam Pavan Kumar 30 September 2021 Rakthamichthys mumba a new species of Hypogean eel Teleostei Synbranchidae from Mumbai Maharashtra India aqua International Journal of Ichthyology 27 3 93 102 ISSN 0945 9871 Wikidata Q113367227 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Monopterus rongsaw a new species of hypogean swamp eel from the Khasi Hills in Northeast India Teleostei Synbranchiformes Synbranchidae Pfeil Verlag pfeil verlag de in German Retrieved 2019 03 04 nbsp This class Actinopterygii ray finned fish related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rakthamichthys amp oldid 1196474153, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
