Scientists find new eel species in Odisha

Berhampur : Researchers have discovered a new species of snake eel Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from two different estuaries (Subarnarekha and Bahuda) along the coast of Odisha and one specimen from the coastal fishermen of Paradip Fish Landing Centre.

On initial examination, they were found to belong to the genus Ophichthus. Examination of morphological, meristic and molecular characters confirmed that the specimens are unique and described as a new species, said Anil Mohapatra from the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Gopalpur.

The research has been published in the Bulletin of Marine Science Volume 100 No. 0 2024 of Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric & Earth Science of the University of Miami.

Mohapatra, who led the research team consisting of Rajesh Kumar Behera, Smrutirekha Acharya and Subhrendu Sekhar Mishra, said the new species can be distinguished from its closely allied congeners Ophichthus alleni, Ophichthus zophistius and Ophichthus altipennis and other members in this genus for having the dorsal fin origin (DFO) just above or slightly anterior to the gill opening. Its unique vertebral count and teeth patterns consist of multiple rows on both the maxilla and mandible.

Four fresh fish samples were collected from Talasari, Balasore captured from Subarnarekha Estuary, one sample was collected from Paradip from the coastal fishermen and one sample was collected from Bahuda Estuary at Sunapur. The specimens were preserved in 10 per cent formalin and deposited at National Repository of Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, ZSI Gopalpur-on-Sea.

The new species can be easily diagnosed as they have the origin of the dorsal fin just above or slightly anterior to the gill opening. Pectoral fin is small, rounded and white in colour, with no dark blotch on the anterior lobe of the dorsal fin. Teeth are small and numerous, uniserial at the beginning of maxillary with triserial ending, mandibular teeth biserial anteriorly and triserial posteriorly.

The eel order Anguilliformes is known to contain 1,069 valid species belonging to 21 families. Among them, the family Ophichthidae, the most spacious family in the order, represents 365 valid species worldwide with two subfamilies: Myrophinae (72 species) and Ophichthinae (293 species). In Indian waters, the subfamily Ophichthinae is represented by 27 species belonging to nine genera of which the genus Ophichthus comprises only 15 species.