New eel species found in Gulf of Mannar and Kochi coast

CHENNAI: The National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) has recently identified two new species of Congrid eels, in the Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala’s Kochi coast.

The species collected from the Gulf of Mannar has been named as Ariosoma “kannani” to honor the late L Kannan, former director of Marine Biology, at Annamalai University and former vice chancellor of Thiruvalluvar University. Likewise, the species from the Kerala coast has been named as Ariosoma “gracile” based on its morphological characters, said, TT Ajith Kumar, principal scientist, NBFGR, CMFRI, Kochi.

The species Ariosoma kannani has been described based on specimens collected through an exploration survey conducted along the landing center of Rameshwaram, Gulf of Mannar region, said the NBFGR.

The researchers conducted extensive morphological analysis, skeleton radiography, and advanced molecular markers combined with species delimitation computational techniques to conclude that the Congrid eel specimens from the Gulf of Mannar region are distinct from other species of the genus Ariosoma, said the NBFGR marine scientist.

The NBFGR also said that a few specimens of both species were sent to the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) for final confirmation. The holotype specimens of both new species are registered at the National Fish Museum and Repository, Lucknow. The name of the species is registered in ZooBank, the online registration system for the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), said a release from NBFGR.

The researchers from NBFGR said that Eels represent a fish group that has received limited attention in terms of research, particularly in India. Until now, only a handful of research institutes have been studying the biodiversity of this less-explored group in Indian waters, said the researchers.

“A comprehensive study is needed for a better understanding about the species and evolution of these eel groups,” the researchers added.