First distribution record of Schistura scaturigina McClelland, 1839 in river Tons, a tributary of river Yamuna in Uttarakhand, in morphological and molecular approach

Abstract

Background The Tons River, one of the significant potential tributaries of the Yamuna, flows through the Uttarakhand region of Garhwal. Fish that prefer cold water habitats often predominate in this river. The natural distribution of Schistura scaturigina McClelland, 1839 (Family: Nemacheilidae) was described (n = 15) from river Tons during the study period of 2019–2021 along with other fish species. For the first time, this species' geographic distribution has now been extended, spreading from hill streams in the Northeast and other regions to new habitats in the Garhwal Himalaya. According to morphometric studies and molecular examination of the mtDNA COI and 16S rRNA, this is the first instance of S. scaturigina being discovered in the Tons River.Methods The Specie (S. scaturigina) was confirmed through a morphological and molecular platform.Results Morphometric measurements and molecular analysis of mtDNA COI and 16S rRNA revealed this to be the first occurrence of S. scaturigina in the Tons River.Conclusion According to the aforementioned study, this is the first extended distribution report for the species S. scaturigina from a new location in the Tons River of Naitwar-Mori, Uttarakhand.