''Rakthamichthys rongsaw'' is a species of

swamp eel The swamp eels (also written "swamp-eels") are a family (biology), family (Synbranchidae) of freshwater eel-like fishes of the tropics and subtropics. Most species are able to breathe air and typically live in marshes, ponds and damp places, som ...

discovered in the

Khasi Hills The Khasi Hills () are a low mountain formation on the Shillong Plateau in the Meghalaya state of India. The Khasi Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia range and connect with the Purvanchal Range and the larger Patkai Range further east. The ...

in northeast

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The researchers were searching for

caecilian Caecilians (; ) are a group of limbless, vermiform (worm-shaped) or serpentine (snake-shaped) amphibians with small or sometimes nonexistent eyes. They mostly live hidden in soil or in streambeds, and this cryptic lifestyle renders caecilians ...

s, when they uncovered the eel in soil.

Taxonomy

It was formerly classified in the genus ''

Monopterus ''Monopterus'' is a genus of swamp eels native to Asia. They live in various freshwater habitats and some have a fossorial lifestyle.Britz, R., Doherty-Bone, T.M., Kouete, M.T., Sykes, D. & Gower, D.J. (2016)''Monopterus luticolus'', a new specie ...

'' until a 2020 study found it to group with three other subterranean ''Monopterus'' species from the Western Ghats, all of which displayed significant genetic and osteological differences from any other species in ''Monopterus''. Due to this, all species were classified in the new genus ''

Rakthamichthys ''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. All species live underground, with one species (''R. rongsaw'') having a fossorial life ...

''.

Description

Only one eel has been identified to date, the specimen was approximately long. The eel is also absent from skin pigmentation and has 92 precaudal and 69 caudal vertebra. The eyes have been described as tiny.

References

Fish of India Taxa named by Ralf Britz Taxa named by Dan Sykes Taxa named by David J. Gower Taxa named by Rachunliu G Kamei Fish described in 2018 Freshwater fish of India rongsaw Endemic fauna of India {{Synbranchiformes-stub