ICAR discovers new fish species in Cuddalore, names it after Tamil Nadu

Tags: Science and Technology

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists have discovered a moray eel fish of the genus Gymnothorax off the Cuddalore coast.

An overview of the news

  • Scientists have named it after the "Tamil Nadu brown moray eel" of Tamil Nadu whose common name is "Gymnothorax tamilnaduensis".

  • Researchers from ICAR - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) conducted an exploration along the coastal waters at Parangipettai and Mudasalodai fish landing centers in Cuddalore district.

  • The team found a new species of fish after extensive morphological analysis, skeletal radiography and testing by advanced molecular markers.

  • The scientists concluded that the species found was a moray eel, a typical species of the genus Gymnothorax.

  • With this, new found fish species of Gymnothorax the number has increased to 29, hitherto Indian waters had 28 species of Gymnothorax.

  • This new species is found in the Bay of Bengal, south-east coast of India.

  • The holotype of this new species is registered at the National Fish Museum and Repository, ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow.

  • The name of the fish species is registered in the Zoobank, the online registration system for the international commission on Zoolgical Nomenclature (ICZN).

About Indian Council of Agricultural Research

  • It is an autonomous body formerly known as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research.

  • Headquarters - New Delhi

  • Established - 1929

  • The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president. Presently its president is Narendra Singh Tomar.

  • ICAR is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.


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