New subterranean eel species discovered in India via TikTok video

Researchers have discovered a new genus and species of subterranean eel, named Gangaichthys indonepalicus, living beneath the Indo-Gangetic Plain near the India-Nepal border. The discovery was prompted by a TikTok video showing a small fish emerging from a borewell.

Measuring approximately four centimeters in length, the eel features adaptations for a life in total darkness, including a translucent, unpigmented body, skin-covered eyes, and an absence of ribs. Genetic testing and CT scans confirmed its classification as a new genus within the Chaudhuriidae family.

To secure specimens, the international research team, which included members from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Shivaji University, and the Zoological Survey of India, had to manually pump thousands of liters of water from local borewells. The findings were published in the journal ZooKeys.