KANNIYAKUMARI: A team of scientists from the Centre for Peninsular Aquatic Genetic Resources (PAGR) Kochi- the regional centre of ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow- have discovered a new species of eel, previously unknown to science, from the Colachel coast in Kanniyakumari district.
The species has been named Apterichtus Kanniyakumari to honour the district’s cultural, linguistic, historical, and geographical significance. Two specimens were collected from Colachel fish landing centre during deep-sea trawling at a depth of 100 metres. Detailed morphological analysis, vertebral counts, and DNA-based molecular studies confirmed that the eel represents a species new to science.
The discovery has been published in the internationally renowned peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa, corresponded by T T Ajith Kumar, Scientist of NBFGR and a native of Karungal in Kanniyakumari district.
Apterichtus Kanniyakumari is a new species of finless snake eel, described based on two specimens collected from deep-sea trawl landings on the southwest coast of India. It is distinguished from its congeners by unique characteristics such as head length 9.6-9.7% TL (Total Length), tail length 1.8-1.9% TL, body depth at gill openings 42.1-54.8% TL, 3 preopercular and 9 supratemporal pores, uniserial conical teeth, golden-yellow body colour, pale white ventral side of head with yellow lines, and three black blotches near the eyes and jaws.
Ajith Kumar, principal scientist and head of the PAGR, Kochi, said the eel marks the 16th species discovered from the Indian coast by the NBFGR team. “Kanniyakumari is blessed with rich marine biodiversity that must be further explored to strengthen India’s biodiversity catalogue,” he said.
He added that the eel measures less than 40 cm, and as the sex of the specimens could not be confirmed, further surveys are planned to study its biology. Nutritional profiling is also underway to assess if it can be recommended for consumption.
Sources said the species name has been registered in ZooBank, the online registration system of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN).