Schistura syngkai, a new stone loach, is described from the Twahdidoh Stream of Wahblei River (Surma-Meghna drainage) in Meghalaya, northeast India. It is unique among its Indian congeners in having a prominent dark-brown to blackish mid-lateral stripe about an eye diameter or more in width, overlain on 12–18 vertically-elongate black blotches on a golden-brown to amber body. Additionally, the species possesses an incomplete lateral line and a slightly emarginate caudal fin, and exhibits no apparent sexual dimorphism.

Keywords: Pisces, New loach, taxonomy, Surma-Meghna drainage, India

Etymology. From the Khasi (an ethnic community of Meghalaya) word ‘Syngkai’ meaning a loach-like fish. A noun in apposition.

Hrishikesh Choudhury, D. Khlur B. Mukhim, Abhinit Dey, Deisakee P. Warbah and Dandadhar Sarma. 2019. Schistura syngkai, A New Fish Species (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) from Meghalaya, northeast India. Zootaxa. 4701(2); 185-191. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4701.2.5