27-05-2025
2 new fish species discovered
Berhampur: The researchers in Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) Gopalpur and Marine Biology Regional Centre, Chennai have discovered two deep sea new fish species - Coloconger scholesi and Ophichthus erabo - from Kollam in Kerala.
Anil Mohapatra, a senior scientist at ZSI, said the Coloconger scholesi belongs to a rarely reported eel genus, Coloconger, which, until now, had only one species (Coloconger raniceps) recorded from the Indian waters. "The discovery of this species marks a significant addition to the ichthyofaunal diversity of the region," Mohaaptra, who is in charge in ZSI's Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Gopalpur, said.
He added, "In the fresh condition, the body of the specimen appears uniformly blackish brown. Even after preservation, the coloration remains consistent and the fins retain a black hue. The tongue, palatine region, peritoneum and stomach are also black. The tube-like cephalic sensory canals and lateral line pores are distinctly black as well."
About the Ophichthus erabo, he explained that this kind of Blotched Snake-Eel was first recorded from the Indian coast.
Previously, it was not documented in Indian marine ichthyofaunal diversity. The species is distinguishable from its congener Ophichthus polyophthalmus by the presence of numerous dark brown semicircular blotches on the body. These blotches are denser and smaller on the head, becoming larger along the trunk and tail.
The research was conducted by a team of scientists and scholars, including Mohapatra.
Detailed descriptions of the Coloconger scholesi species have been published in the latest edition of Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom and Ophichthus erabo in National Academy Science Letters. "This discovery not only enriches the ichthyological database of India but also significantly contributes to understanding the true distribution and biodiversity of deep-sea fishes in the Indian Ocean region, " said Mohapatra.
