Scientists Discover New Conger Eel Species in Arabian Sea, Name It After Marine Fisheries Research Institute

Key facts

• Scientists of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) discovered a new conger eel species from the deep waters of the Arabian Sea and named it Ariosoma cmfriense to mark the institute's 80th anniversary year.
• The species was found off Kollam at a depth of about 300 metres in January 2026.
• It was identified as distinct based on morphological characteristics and molecular evidence, and distinguished from 12 recognised Ariosoma species in Indian and neighbouring waters.
• Distinctive features include a low total vertebral count of 135, 127-130 lateral-line pores, a plain pectoral fin, a dark patch over the operculum, and fine black speckling below the lateral line.
• The discovery was made under the Deep Ocean Mission of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, led by Principal Scientist Dr Rekha J Nair.
• The holotype has been deposited in the CMFRI Marine Biodiversity Museum and a scientific paper was published in the journal Zootaxa.