New eel species described from Arabian Sea, named after CMFRI

You don’t have any Active Subscription.

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

A new species of conger eel, Ariosoma cmfriense, described from the deep waters of the Arabian Sea.

Scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have claimed to have described a new species of conger eel from the deep waters of the Arabian Sea and named it after the institute to mark its 80th anniversary year.

The new species, named Ariosoma cmfriense, was collected from the waters off Kollam in Keralam at a depth of about 300 m in January 2026, according to a communication.

The specimen was identified as a distinct species based on a combination of morphological characteristics and molecular evidence. It was distinguished from the 12 currently recognised Ariosoma species reported from Indian and neighbouring waters through detailed taxonomic examination, the communication said.

The discovery was made by researchers led by Rekha J. Nair, Principal Scientist, of the institute, as part of the Deep Ocean Mission of Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.