Neolissochilus pnar

The holotype specimen of N. pnar is 329.2 mm (12.96 in) long, & the largest individual sighted in its natural cave habitat exceeded 400 mm (16 in) in standard length, making this species the largest known subterranean fish. The head of this fish is large, accounting for a bit over a quarter of its length, and has two pairs of barbels. All fins of N. pnar are hyaline and translucent. This species is white or pinkish in color, with no pigmentation from melanophores. The eye size in this species reduces as overall body size increases: in the largest individuals they cannot be discerned without very close inspection, whilst the eyes of smaller juveniles are clearly visible large dark spots under the skin surface. N. pnar has a continuous lateral lines with 28–31 perforated scales, as well as an additional 1–2 on the caudal fin base.^[1][2]

The species' mitogenome is 16440 base pairs long.^[3]

N. pnar has been collected from the Krem Um Ladaw and the adjacent Krem Chympe caves in Meghalaya, Northeast India, which drain into the Meghna River System. The entrance to the Krem Um Ladaw cave lies in a seasonally dry stream bed within a forest, and the cave floor is rocky with several pools of standing water. Forest vegetation make up part of the debris along the floor, indicating the cave is seasonally flooded, & this seasonal flood debris may provide the main food source for the fish. No major bat roosts or bat guano deposits are present in Krem Um Ladaw, but there are various invertebrates including brown crickets (Eutachycines sp.), cellar spiders (Pholcidae), fungus gnat larvae (Keroplatidae), isopods such as Cubaris sp. and Philoscia sp., shrimp (Macrobrachium cf. cavernicola), snails (Paludomus sp.), pond skaters (Gerridae), and a few tadpoles.^[1]

In the Krem Chympe cave, N. pnar occurs in pools in a side passage alongside fish (Garra sp.), shrimps (Macrobrachium sp.), and tadpoles.^[1]

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