Berhampur: A joint study by Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and Fakir Mohan University has identified a new species of snapper fish, ‘Lut janusarakan’, from the waters near Gopalpur fish harbour off the Bay of Bengal in Ganjam district.
The discovery has been published in the international journal ‘Zootaxa’. The research team was led by scientist Anil Mohapatra of the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre of the ZSI.
Other members included Rajesh Kumar Behera, Swaroop Ranjan Mohanty, Smrutirekha Acharya, TKS Tathachari, Bhaskar Behera and Subhendu Sekhar Mishra. According to the study, the specimen was collected November 8, 2024.
The fish is typically associated with coral reef ecosystems and is noted for its bright colouration. It has a reddish-silvery body with four dark red dish-brown bands running from head to tail.
The dorsal region is dark brown, while the mid-body fins are deep red dish-brown, and the paired fins are translucent pink.
The species had earlier been reported along the Bangladesh coast.
As snapper fish are edible, the species is considered to have significant commercial value.
Mohapatra said the identification was confirmed through a combination of traditional morphological analysis and modern DNA bar-coding techniques.
Mishra noted that the species closely resembles ‘Lutjanus lemniscatus’ found along the Indian coast, particularly in colouration and body shape.
Behera added that both DNA and morphological analyses were conducted to ensure accurate classification, strengthening the reliability of the findings.
Researchers said the discovery could contribute to future marine biodiversity conservation and scientific studies in the region.