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

Tags: Science and Technology

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.