ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow Scientists Identify Two New Marine Species, Advancing India’s Marine Biodiversity Research

14 July 2026, Lucknow

Researchers from the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow have discovered two new marine species from Indian waters. The discoveries include a tiny porcelain crab from the coral reef ecosystem of Lakshadweep and a new snake eel from the Bay of Bengal.

The porcelain crab measuring only about 3 mm in size, enough to fit on a fingertip. The species was collected from the coral reefs of Agatti Island, Lakshadweep. The species belongs to the genus Pachycheles, that play important ecological roles in coral reef ecosystems through nutrient recycling and maintenance of ecosystem health. The findings have been published in the international peer-reviewed journal “Zootaxa”. The article, titled “Pachycheles ravichandrani, a new species of porcelain crab from Lakshadweep, India (Crustacea: Decapoda: Porcellanidae).

The species has been named as Pachycheles ravichandrani in honor of Dr M. Ravichandran, former Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, in recognition of his significant contributions and leadership in advancing marine biodiversity exploration through India's Deep Ocean Mission. The new species is distinguished by the presence of setae along the lateral ridges and posterior margin of the carapace, a distinct gap between the fingers of the minor cheliped, and a truncate cutting edge of the minor cheliped.

Another discovery is a new species of snake eel from the Bay of Bengal, named Bascanichthys chepakakiensis. The species name is derived from Telugu words, chepa meaning “fish” and kaki, a shortened form of Kakinada, the locality from where the specimen was collected. The name collectively means “a fish from Kakinada,” reflecting both the local language and the geographic origin of the species. The finding was published in the international peer-reviewed journal “Journal of Ichthyology”. The article, titled “A New Snake Eel Species of Bascanichthys (Ophichthidae) from the Bay of Bengal Supported by Morphology and Mitochondrial Analysis”. 

The newly described eel is characterized by several unique morphological features, including the dorsal-fin origin positioned before the middle of the head, a slightly darker head, a dusky to dark-brown snout. Comprehensive morphological examinations supported by molecular analyses confirmed its status as a new species. 

(Source: ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow)