Latest news with #NilanjanMukherjee
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers stunned after uncovering creature not seen since early 1900s: 'We spent a few hours digging'
An elusive eel species was documented anew in northeastern India, according to McClatchy News. Renamed as Ophichthys hodgarti, the animal, while not unknown to locals, hadn't been identified by scientists since an 80-mile British expedition in the early 1900s through what is now the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Researchers more recently followed in the footsteps of that expedition and were able to find live specimens along the treacherous terrain of the Siang Valley. A report of their findings was published in the journal Zootaxa on May 19. "We spent a few hours digging through the mud and rocks until we found the first one," co-author Nilanjan Mukherjee told McClatchy in May. "The moment we caught it and transferred it to a container, I knew we had found the eel." Mukherjee was surprised by how much time the eel spent outside of water, including on a wet road some distance from a water source. Many such animals stick to marine environments. In their publication, the co-authors wrote, "The fact that over a century has elapsed between the description of O. hodgarti and its rediscovery serves to highlight the gaps in our knowledge … and suggests opportunities for researchers to intensify exploratory efforts to fill these gaps." Supporting research efforts to address such gaps could uncover knowledge about other unknown or lesser-known species, potentially revealing even more eclectic wildlife communities. Indeed, the region where the elusive eels were found is home to many and varied animals. Rare tigers and fish have previously been spotted in Arunachal Pradesh, perhaps a hotbed for biodiversity, which is an important pillar of thriving ecosystems. Rich ecosystems can serve all living things, including humans, in unforeseen ways. For example, researchers discovered that a species of Thai bat has been hunting destructive insects that might otherwise wreak havoc on local crops. In another instance, sea otters have been found to be protective of kelp forests by feeding on urchins that might otherwise decimate kelp. Kelp provides an important habitat for commercial fisheries and makes for a harvestable product itself. Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The more research we dedicate to these relationships, the more we can see the value of intact ecosystems and of protecting them. "We are more likely to conserve species if we know what we stand to lose and (to conserve) landscapes if we know what inhabits them," Mukherjee told McClatchy News about the importance of studying Ophichthys hodgarti, "and this information can only be gained through exploration and research." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Hikers follow map of 1912 expedition and rediscover creature not seen since then
A researcher stood by a mud patch in northeastern India and started digging. He wasn't quite sure what he was searching for, but he'd been told this spot was home to 'a worm-like animal that was not a worm.' When he finally caught the mysterious creature several hours later, he knew he was looking at a species not seen since 1912. The British military set out in late 1911 for revenge — and scientific specimens — in what became known as the Abor Expedition. The contingent of soldiers and scientists covered a roughly 80-mile route through modern-day Arunachal Pradesh, punishing local villages for the murder of a British officer while also collecting thousands of plant and animal samples. Among these samples were six eels. They were mottled brown with tiny eyes and described as a new species in 1913, dubbed, rather questionably, Moringua hodgarti. The story almost ended there. And, for over a century, it did — because no other scientists encountered the 'long lost' and 'forgotten' eel species, according to a study published May 19 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. Nilanjan Mukherjee, one of the study's co-authors, heard about Moringua hodgarti while preparing to join a research team following the mapped route of the old Abor Expedition. Something about these poorly known eels intrigued him. 'It was on my list of fish to find,' he told McClatchy News. During the 2022 trek through 'very difficult to traverse' terrain, Mukherjee's field assistant, Decem, told him about the ''Yuveh,' 'a worm-like animal that was not a worm,' and took him to the muddy area where it lived. Catching these mysterious creatures proved difficult, as 'they are fast and slippery and can dig and bury themselves in loose mud incredibly fast,' Mukherjee said via email. 'We spent a few hours digging through the mud and rocks until we found the first one,' Mukherjee said. 'The moment we caught it and transferred it to a container, I knew we had found the eel.' Photos show the rediscovered swamp eel, now reclassified as Ophichthys hodgarti. The eels have a 'slender' body, reaching almost 10 inches in length, the study said. Their eyes are 'covered by skin,' and the lining of their mouths and throats functions like 'a primitive lung' for breathing air. Ophichthys hodgarti eels were found at night in mud and gravel near waterways but 'were never seen in the main channel,' the study said. When caught, a few eels 'regurgitated unidentified insect larvae and worms.' 'I was surprised as to how much time these fish spent out of water voluntarily,' Mukherjee said. One eel was even found 'quite happily moving around on the wet road quite a distance away from the stream.' Researchers said the rediscovery of Ophichthys hodgarti shows 'gaps in our knowledge' and the importance of 'further exploration' to understand and conserve ecosystems. 'We are more likely to conserve species if we know what we stand to lose and (to conserve) landscapes if we know what inhabits them, and this information can only be gained through exploration and research,' Mukherjee said. The research team included Mukherjee, Rahul Kumar, Surya Narayanan and Aravind N.A.
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Fish species Moringua hodgarti rediscovered after a century in Arunachal Pradesh
A team of Indian researchers have rediscovered fish species Moringua hodgarti in Arunachal Pradesh's Siang Valley after over a century. The records of the species was first collected during the Abor Expedition of 1911–1912 in Arunachal Pradesh. The discovery and analysis of the fish species measuring around 177 mm to 211 mm and commonly known as swamp eels has been published in the latest edition of Zootaxa, a peer-reviewed journal for animal taxonomists, published on Monday. 'We report the rediscovery of this species after 110 years, and provide a re-description based on freshly collected specimens... This species is known only from the Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh,' the team of researchers that comprised Nilanjan Mukherjee, Rahul G Kumar, Surya Narayanan and Aravind NA mentioned in the article, a copy of which HT has seen. Fishes of the family Synbranchidae, (swamp eels), are characterised by the absence of paired fins, unpaired fins rudimentary or absent, presence of an accessory breathing organ, and vascular modifications which enable them to breathe atmospheric oxygen. They are distributed in freshwaters and occasionally brackishwaters across South and Central America, West Africa, large parts of Asia, and Australia. Also Read: 68 butterfly species found during annual count The Abor Hills in British India referred to the region alongside the Siang River valley in present day Arunachal Pradesh. The Abor expedition (1911–1912) was military expedition undertaken by the British against the Adi people following the murder of a British officer. During the expedition, many species of plants and animals were collected and among the species discoveries made by the expedition was Moringua hodgarti in 1913. The six specimens collected are currently kept at Zoological Survey of India in Kolkata. 'The species has not been collected since its original description and thus the paucity of specimens in collections has limited further enquiry. As part of a field survey carried out between January and October 2022, retracing the route of the 1911–1912 Abor Expedition we recovered specimens of a synbranchid eel from the vicinity of the type locality of Moringua hodgarti, as well as additional locations in the Siang Valley. Examination of the syntypes of Moringua hodgarti confirmed that our specimens represent this species, marking its rediscovery after 110 years,' the article mentioned. While the species was earlier placed in the Moringua genus, the researchers after morphology and molecular analysis confirmed that Moringua hodgarti is a species of synbranchid eel of the genus Ophichthys and renamed it Ophichthys hodgarti. 'Our examination of part of the type series and freshly collected material confirms its placement in Ophichthys, based on the presence of scales over the entire body, and a modified gill arch skeleton,' the article said. 'The fact that over a century has elapsed between the description of Ophichthys hodgarti and its rediscovery serves to highlight the gaps in our knowledge of this highly cryptic and morphologically conservative group of fishes and suggests opportunities for researchers to intensify exploratory efforts to fill these gaps,' it added.
