Context: Recently, a new fish species discovered in the hill stream area of Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) which is among the first vertebrates to bear the name of Telangana.
About Indoreonectes Telanganaensis

• A new species of hill-stream loach, Indoreonectes telanganaensis, is described from a seasonal tributary of the Godavari River at Maisamma Loddi, within the Kawal Tiger Reserve, Telangana State, India. 
• The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters including caudal peduncle as long as deep; eye large, its diameter about onefifth head length; pectoral fin as long as head; nasal barbel reaching the middle of the eye; dorsal-fin origin on vertical through pelvic-fin origin; and bars on the lateral side of the body well defined and wide. 
• “The hill stream is seasonal and is part of the Godavari river basin but does not flow into the main river directly. 

• Clown loaches with their interesting golden-yellow and black patterns are a favourite of aquarists who keep ornamental fish. 
• Clown loaches are native to the inland water systems in South East Asia. While clown loaches have shorter bodies and pinkish fins and tails, the loach discovered in Telangana is a little less colourful and has a longer body with bands of black.
• “The naming after Telangana will make scientific people take notice of the new State,”.
• Researchers also provide multivariate morphometric, and DNA analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequence to support the distinction of the new species.

Additional Information

Kawal Tiger Reserve

• It is located at Adilabad district in Telangana state of India.
• The Government of India declared Kawal wildlife sanctuary as Tiger Reserve in 2012.
• The Kawal wildlife sanctuary was established in 1965 and later declared as the Protected Area (PA) in 1999 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Flora: Dry Deciduous Teak Forests mixed with Bamboo.
• Fauna: Mammal species that have been sighted include tiger, leopard, gaur, cheetal, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, chowsingha, sloth bear.
• The River Kadam (a tributary of Godavari) flows through this area.
• The area is increasingly getting threatened by growing human encroachments, rampant poaching, illegal wood felling and habitat loss.