New species of finless snake eel named after Kanniyakumari

Researchers from National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Kochi functioning under Indian Council of Agricultural Research, have discovered a new species of finless snake eel and named it after Kanniyakumari as Apterichtus kanniyakumari. The discovery has been published in the latest issue of international peer-reviewed journal, Zootaxa.

The species belonging to the genus Apterichtus was discovered off the Colachel coast and has been named after Kanniyakumari to honour the district’s cultural, linguistic, historical and geographical significance, said T. T. Ajith Kumar, Principal Scientist and Head, Regional Centre of NBFGR, Kochi.

He added that the researchers from NBFGR have used two specimens collected from Colachel, where fishermen have reported catching them at a depth of 100 metres, during deep-sea trawling.

Researchers and scientists have conducted extensive morphological analysis, vertebral counts and DNA based molecular analysis, which confirmed that the eel represents a species which is previously unknown to science.

According to the discovery published in Zootaxa, the new species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characteristics such as head length 9.6-9.7% of total length (TL), tail length 1.8-1.9% of TL and body depth at gill openings 42.1-54.8% of TL. Other features include three preopercular and 9 supratemporal pores, conical uniserial teeth on jaws and vomer, distinct golden-yellow body colouration, ventral side of head pale white with yellow lines along the lower jaw, and three black blotches including one behind the eyes followed by one in rictus and other behind the origin of rictus. The species also has a mean vertebral formula of 52-131.

In addition, molecular analysis based on mitochondrial CO1 gene exhibits that this new species forms a distinct clade with its sympatric species, Apterichtus nanjilnaduensis.

Mr. Ajith Kumar highlighted species Kanniyakumari as the 16th species discovered from the Indian coast by the NBFGR team. “Kanniyakuamri has a rich biodiversity that needs to be explored further to strengthen the India’s biodiversity catalogue,” he said.

He further added that systematic surveys and taxonomic research are crucial in unlocking the hidden diversity and ensuring sustainable management of marine resources. “This discovery underscores the hidden diversity of the Arabian sea, particularly Colachel region, which emphasises the importance of local resources,” Mr. Kumar noted.