Oreichthys warjaintia , new species, is described from the Pyrngang stream (Surma–Meghna basin), Meghalaya, northeast India. It can be distinguished from all known species within the genus Oreichthys in having the following combination of characters: complete lateral line with 25–27 pored scales, 13 branched pectoral‐fin rays, 5–5½ branched anal‐fin rays, 14 rows of papillae on suborbital, ½3/1/2½ scale rows in transverse line...

A phylogenetic analysis incorporating mitochondrial cox1 gene sequences of members of the family Caesionidae revealed the conspecificity of Pterocaesio flavifasciata and Squamosicaesio marri , which was also supported by the absence of any clear morphological diagnostic characters and meristic counts to separate the two species. Additionally, we provide the first record of the Suez fusilier, Flavicaesio suevica , from outside...

Groundwater is a vital ecosystem of the global water cycle, hosting unique biodiversity and providing essential services to societies. Despite being the largest unfrozen freshwater resource, in a period of depletion by extraction and pollution, groundwater environments have been repeatedly overlooked in global biodiversity conservation agendas. Disregarding the importance of groundwater as an ecosystem ignores its critical rol...

Fusiliers of the family Caesionidae comprise a group of Indo‐Pacific reef fishes important in the live bait and artisanal fisheries in many parts of its range, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. Using newly generated mitochondrial COI sequences of 10 species of caesionid fishes from the Laccadive archipelago, we carried out a molecular phylogenetic analysis, which has helped improve our understanding of the diversity, di...

The deep‐sea spiny eels of the genus Notacanthus Bloch 1788 are currently represented by six valid species, of which only one, Notacanthus indicus , has been described so far from the Arabian Sea, part of the Western Indian Ocean. This paper reports the discovery of a new species, described herein as Notacanthus laccadiviensis , from the outer reef drop‐off, off the Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep Archipelago, Arabian Sea. The n...

The syngnathiform genus Corythoichthys comprises a group of taxonomically complex, tail‐brooding (Syngnathinae) pipefishes widely distributed in the Indo‐Pacific region. Due to the presence of overlapping interspecific morphological characters, reliable taxonomic information on Corythoichthys is still lacking. Using 52 CO1 sequences, including seven newly generated, a phylogenetic analysis was carried out to understand the gen...

Global freshwater biodiversity is declining dramatically, and meeting the challenges of this crisis requires bold goals and the mobilisation of substantial resources. While the reasons are varied, investments in both research and conservation of freshwater biodiversity lag far behind those in the terrestrial and marine realms. Inspired by a global consultation, we identify 15 pressing priority needs, grouped into five research...