Aquatic

Indian Scientists Contribute Nearly Half of South Asia’s Monitoring Sites as IUCN Study Reveals Severe Climate Risks to World’s Coral Reefs

The investigation began when Wimarithy K. Marak, a researcher associated with Assam Don Bosco University, encountered an unusual small aquatic organism in a village well in Goalpara district. Similar creatures had previously been noticed in local wells, but their biological identity remained unknown.

The research was led by Kannan Shalu of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies in Kochi. The international team included Graham Short, Rajeev Raghavan, Ghosh Ramvilas and Kutty Ranjeet, bringing together expertise in marine biology, fish taxonomy and molecular research.

The programme focused on protecting native fish diversity, promoting scientifically managed fisheries and creating livelihood opportunities for communities dependent on fragile Himalayan river ecosystems.

Scientists associated with the Zoological Survey of India have identified a new marine fish species,

The new species, named Ariosoma cmfriense, was identified by scientists from the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Kochi. The specimen was collected from waters off Kollam at a depth of approximately 300 metres in January 2026 as part of research associated with India’s Deep Ocean Mission.

The two species, Ingerana aizawl and Duttaphrynus phawngpui, were described in separate scientific papers published in September 2026. Together, the discoveries underline how much of the amphibian diversity of Mizoram and the wider Indo-Burma biodiversity region remains incompletely documented.

Schizopygopsis waddellii belongs to the family Cyprinidae, which includes carps and many other freshwater fishes. It is part of a group adapted to the cold, oxygen-poor and highly seasonal waters of the Tibetan Plateau and adjoining Himalayan region.

Scientists from the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR), Lucknow, have described the new species as Chromis veneta sp. nov., following detailed genetic and morphological studies of blue-green chromis collected during marine biodiversity research in Lakshadweep.

Named Apristurus drona, the new shark was described by Sweta Beura, K. K. Bineesh and Dhriti Banerjee of the Zoological Survey of India. Their study was published on June 9, 2026, in the taxonomic journal Zootaxa. The researchers propose the common name Arabian slender catshark.