The world’s largest cave fish from Meghalaya, Northeast India, is a new species, Neolissochilus pnar (Cyprinidae, Torinae)

The world’s largest subterranean fish was discovered in 2019, and tentatively identified as a troglomorphic form of the golden mahseer, Tor putitora . Detailed analyses its morphometric meristic data, results from molecular now reveal that it is new species genus Neolissochilus , sister taxon Tor. We formally describe pnar honouring tribal communities East Jaintia hills Meghalaya, Northeast India, where discovered. possesses number characters unique among with exception similarly N. subterraneus Thailand. diagnose all epigean congeners comprise highly reduced eye size to complete absence externally visible eyes, lack pigmentation, long maxillary barbels, pectoral-fin rays, scalation pattern. distinguished hypogean type locality which limestone cave ~2000 kms away Central Thailand, by lesser pre-pelvic length (47.8–49.4 vs. 50.5–55.3 %SL), shorter caudal peduncle (16.1–16.8 17.8–23.7 dorsal fin (17.4–20.8 21.5–26.3 %SL). In addition, also genetically morphologically distinct close raw genetic divergence 1.1–2.7% COI gene putative topotype hexastichus 2.1–2.6% hexagonolepis