taxonID	type	description	language	source
56A6BAA842CC567C8F19E58EAFC3D68F.taxon	description	Fig. 1	en	Dahanukar, Neelesh, Sundar, Remya L., Rangad, Duwaki, Proudlove, Graham, Raghavan, Rajeev (2023): The world's largest cave fish from Meghalaya, Northeast India, is a new species, Neolissochilus pnar (Cyprinidae, Torinae). Vertebrate Zoology 73: 141-152, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011
56A6BAA842CC567C8F19E58EAFC3D68F.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The species name pnar, honours the ' pnar', the sub-tribal group of the Khasi people in the state of Meghalaya, India.	en	Dahanukar, Neelesh, Sundar, Remya L., Rangad, Duwaki, Proudlove, Graham, Raghavan, Rajeev (2023): The world's largest cave fish from Meghalaya, Northeast India, is a new species, Neolissochilus pnar (Cyprinidae, Torinae). Vertebrate Zoology 73: 141-152, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011
56A6BAA842CC567C8F19E58EAFC3D68F.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Neolissochilus pnar is distinguished from all its congeners by mandibular barbel long, reaching anterior margin of opercle (vs. short, not reaching margin of opercle). It is further distinguished from all epigean congeners by atrophied eyes, highly reduced in size in juveniles and small-adults and absence of externally visible eyes in adults (vs. presence of well-developed eyes in all life-stages); complete absence of pigmentation (vs. presence); long pectoral-fin reaching anterior base of pelvic fin (vs. short, not reaching anterior base of pelvic fin); and distinct scalation pattern with 28 + 2 (2) or 31 + 1 (1) lateral line scales, 8 scales in transverse series with 4 above the lateral line and 3 below the lateral line. Neolissochilus pnar is distinguished from the only other subterranean congener, N. subterraneus by shorter pre-pelvic length (47.8 - 49.4 vs. 50.5 - 55.3 % SL), shorter caudal-peduncle length (16.1 - 16.8 vs. 17.8 - 23.7 % SL) and shorter dorsal-fin length (17.4 - 20.8 vs. 21.5 - 26.3 % SL).	en	Dahanukar, Neelesh, Sundar, Remya L., Rangad, Duwaki, Proudlove, Graham, Raghavan, Rajeev (2023): The world's largest cave fish from Meghalaya, Northeast India, is a new species, Neolissochilus pnar (Cyprinidae, Torinae). Vertebrate Zoology 73: 141-152, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011
56A6BAA842CC567C8F19E58EAFC3D68F.taxon	description	Description. General appearance as in Fig. 1 and selected morphological characters presented in Table 3. Body elongate, laterally compressed. Dorsal profile sharply rising from tip of snout to nape, posteriorly gently decreasing up to end of caudal peduncle. Ventral profile sloping, almost straight convex. Head large, slightly more than a quarter of standard length. Eyes tiny and highly reduced in size to a black spot or externally invisible in adults, slightly larger, but still reduced in size compared to epigean congeners in juveniles; eyes when present situated dorso-laterally, nearer to tip of snout than to posterior margin of opercle. Mouth subterminal, lips thick. Two pairs of barbels. Rostral barbel reaching midlength of maxillary barbel. Maxillary barbel long, reaching anterior margin of opercle. Dorsal fin with 13 soft rays (iv + 9), its origin almost midway between tip of snout and end of caudal peduncle, or slightly in advance. Posterior margin of adpressed dorsal fin reaching anal-fin origin. Pectoral fin with 16 rays (i + 15), its length shorter than head length. Adpressed pectoral fin reaching vertical at dorsal-fin origin, and almost reaching pelvic-fin origin. Pelvic-fin with 9 rays (i + 8), its origin slightly posterior to vertical at dorsal-fin origin. Anal fin with 8 rays (iii + 5). Caudal fin forked with 19 principal caudal rays. Caudal peduncle 2 - 2.3 times as long as deep. Body lateral line continuous, with 28 - 31 perforated scales, and an additional 1 - 2 on caudal-fin base. Transverse series with 8 scale rows, 4 scale rows between dorsal-fin origin and row of lateral line scales, 3 scale rows between row of lateral line scales and pelvic-fin origin. Pre-dorsal scales 9.	en	Dahanukar, Neelesh, Sundar, Remya L., Rangad, Duwaki, Proudlove, Graham, Raghavan, Rajeev (2023): The world's largest cave fish from Meghalaya, Northeast India, is a new species, Neolissochilus pnar (Cyprinidae, Torinae). Vertebrate Zoology 73: 141-152, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011
56A6BAA842CC567C8F19E58EAFC3D68F.taxon	distribution	Distribution. The species is known from the caves at Krem Um Ladaw, and the adjacent Krem Chympe in Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India, which drain into the Meghna River System (Fig. 2).	en	Dahanukar, Neelesh, Sundar, Remya L., Rangad, Duwaki, Proudlove, Graham, Raghavan, Rajeev (2023): The world's largest cave fish from Meghalaya, Northeast India, is a new species, Neolissochilus pnar (Cyprinidae, Torinae). Vertebrate Zoology 73: 141-152, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/vz.73.e101011
