Researchers at the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetics Resources (ICAR-NBFGR) have identified two new specimens of congrid eels off the coasts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The discovery of the eels of genus Ariosoma add to the ten eel varieties recently discovered by the national bureau. A senior NBFGR scientist said that the newly identified eels were found off the Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu and off the Kochi coast in Kerala.
The finding adds to the growing understanding of marine biodiversity in Indian waters, particularly about eels, marking a significant step in the ongoing research efforts of ICAR-NBFGR, the scientist added.
The species collected from the Gulf of Mannar has been named Ariosoma kannani (to honour the late Professor L. Kannan, former director of Marine Biology, Annamalai University and former Vice-Chancellor of Thiruvalluvar University) and the species from Kerala coast has been named as Ariosoma gracile based on its morphological characters.
