Berhampur: A collaborative effort by Indian Marine Biodiversity Centre at Gopalpur in Ganjam district and National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources in Kerala led to the identification of new fish species – Ariosoma tamilicum – in the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
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According to Anil Mohapatra, a scientist at the Indian Marine Biodiversity Centre, the eel species, belonging to the Ariosoma genus, was named Ariosoma tamilicum in reference to its discovery in Tamil-speaking coastal regions. The fish was first collected in 2021 by researcher Paramasivam Kodeswaran at the fi shing harbour of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. Initial examinations were conducted at the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Centre in Kerala, followed by further analysis at Gopalpur Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). A team of scientists, including Mohapatra, Thipramalai Thangappan Pillai, Ajit Kumar, Smruti Rekha Acharya, and Paramasivam Kodeswaran, conducted the DNA sequencing and mitochondrial gene analysis.
The genetic study revealed a 13.4 per cent difference in mitochondrial gene sequence, confirming it as a distinct new species. The eel has a bicoloured body, with a dark upper portion and a lighter underside. It possesses a vertebral column with 116–121 bony segments and grows up to 30 centimetres in length. It is non-toxic and is commonly used as poultry feed. These eels are benthic dwellers, living at the bottom of the sea. The full scientific description of Ariosoma tamilicum has been published in the international journal Zootaxa. Further research on the species is in progress, according to Mohapatra of the ZSI.
