Exploration & Conservation

Andrew Huang's journey from childhood aquariums to following Amano's Legacy By Amar Salvi, Editor — The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes Andrew Huang is a psychiatrist finishing his final year of residency in New Jersey. He is also, by his own account, someone people frequently mistake for Bruce Lee — a comparison he shrugs off, with a nod to the one lesson he thinks actually transfers from the dojo to the fish room: consistency. “In his practice he was disci

Abhisek Mishra has no proper camera, no boat, and no formal training in ichthyology. What he has is an Android phone, a two-foot hand net, and a habit of wading into Odisha's rivers until something new swims by — a habit that has already put two fish species on the scientific record, and one of them, already, on the list of the threatened. By Amar Salvi, Editor — The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 7–9 minutes Abhisek Mishra's introduction to the hobby didn't begin with

A 1951 shrimp record. Seven decades of doubt. And a photograph that reopened a case science had all but closed. This is the story of how Atyopsis spinipes was found again. By The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes The Bamboo Shrimp is familiar to aquarists around the world. With its fan-like feeding appendages, peaceful temperament, and fascinating filter-feeding behaviour, it has long been a favourite among shrimp keepers. Yet for decades, few realised that In

Somewhere in the rocky hill streams of the Eastern Ghats, water drops over granite in a quiet cascade, pools beneath the shade of forest cover, and moves on toward the plains below. It looks, at first, like any other forest stream. Beneath the surface, it is holding onto something far older than the landscape around it. By Karthickeyen K.S. Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes The Eastern Ghats run for more than 1,750 kilometres along India's eastern flank, cutting through Odisha

The African Water Fern — Elegance in the Aquascape By Dr. Nataraj R, PhD Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes Among the many aquatic ferns cultivated for freshwater aquariums, Bolbitis heudelotii occupies a unique position — thanks to its graceful appearance, slow growth, and remarkable adaptability. Commonly known as the African Water Fern or Congo Fern, it has become one of the most admired plants in nature-style aquascaping. Unlike most rooted aquatic plants, this fern doesn't

New Fish Discoveries By Balaji Vijayakrishnan Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes By his own admission, Balaji Vijayakrishnan has a completely unreasonable obsession with catfishes. While other people marvel at coral reefs, obsess over charismatic megafauna, or drool over colourful fish, he finds himself emotionally invested in barbels and spines — convinced, only half-jokingly, that catfish have more personality than anything else swimming. This month, true to that obsession, h

By Balaji Vijayakrishnan Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes Deep below Asia's surface flows a world few hobbyists ever imagine. Once considered biological curiosities, subterranean fishes are now being discovered at an accelerating pace, with new species turning up in caves and underground habitats across India, China, and Indonesia. For anyone fascinated by oddballs, these fish represent the ultimate specialists — animals shaped entirely by darkness. Barbodes klapanunggalensis

Balaji is a corporate professional, and an independent researcher working on the taxonomy and systematics of native Indian fish, with a special interest in catfish. By Balaji Vijayakrishnan Estimated read time: 5–6 minutes Few freshwater fishes inspire as much awe as those of the genus Bagarius. Known variously as goonch, devil catfish, or giant catfish, these riverine giants occupy a unique place in ichthyology — and as it turns out, science has only recently begun to unders

A Conversation with Steve Lockett, Mahseer Trust (UK) By The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 7–8 minutes Mahseer are often celebrated as India's ultimate sport fish — but that label barely scratches the surface. Drawing on over five decades of freshwater conservation work, Steve Lockett dismantles common myths around mahseer conservation, explains why stocking often does more harm than good, and argues that saving mahseer is inseparable from saving India's rivers themse

A Quiet, Natural Stem Plant with Subtle Charm By Dr. Nataraj J, PhD — Still Water Aquatics, Plants Division Estimated read time: 8–9 minutes In the evolving world of aquascaping, plants with fine texture and delicate structure are increasingly valued for their ability to create depth, scale, and natural aesthetics. Among such species, Hedyotis salzmannii has gained recognition as a subtle yet highly effective plant for midground and background compositions. Though not as wide

How the Eastern and Western Ghats Are Different and Similar to Each Other By Karthickeyen K.S. Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes India narrows into a triangle as it runs south into the Indian Ocean, and along its two edges run two mountain ranges: the Western Ghats facing the Arabian Sea, and the Eastern Ghats facing the Bay of Bengal. Both sit on the same ancient basement rock, a leftover of the supercontinent Gondwana. But that shared origin is where the resemblance mostly e

A tale of new balitora. By Balaji Vijayakrishnan Estimated read time: 6–7 minutes Balitora is a genus of small, flattened freshwater fish belonging to the family Balitoridae, commonly known as hillstream loaches or stone loaches. These fish are built for life in the fast lane — their bodies are dorsoventrally compressed, essentially squashed flat from top to bottom, and their pectoral and pelvic fins are enlarged and spread horizontally, functioning almost like suction pads t

Micro-habitats, Monsoon & the Case for Looking Closer A roadside ditch. A flooded paddy field. A puddle beside the road. Dr. Nabojit Das has spent years looking at the water bodies everyone else walks past — and finding entire ecosystems hiding in plain sight. By Dr. Nabojit Das Estimated read time: 4 minutes Assam and its neighbouring states sit directly in the path of the southwest monsoon, receiving immense amounts of rainfall every year. But not all of that water flows in

From the Plains to the Himalayas Eleven years ago, a pair of swimming goggles and a pond near his home changed everything. Sourav Ghosh has spent every year since diving into India's freshwater world — and what he's found beneath the surface rarely looks like what's expected. By Sourav Ghosh Estimated read time: 3–4 minutes The journey into India's underwater world began eleven years ago with nothing more than a pair of swimming goggles and flippers. Curious about what lay be

A tribute to Heiko Bleher’s extraordinary life of exploration, tracing his decades-long journeys across the Amazon and beyond, his role in shaping modern discus breeding, and the philosophies that defined his approach to fishkeeping and natural history. By Amar Salvi, Editor — The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 7–9 minutes A name that shaped modern aquariums How can any tribute truly capture the magnitude of a life like Heiko Bleher’s? For more than seven decades, he d

An editorial selection of ten of Heiko Bleher’s most influential discoveries, highlighting the species, regions, and stories that left a lasting impact on the global aquarium hobby and brought remote ecosystems into the spotlight. By Amar Salvi, Editor — The Weekend Aquarist Estimated read time: 7–9 minutes A name that shaped modern aquariums How does one do justice to an article featuring Heiko’s discoveries and bring it down to only ten? That was a dilemma we faced, and we