TikTok helps scientists discover new underground, translucent eel in India
Popular Science...
Yes, TikTok and social media can be a huge time suck. But in some cases, it can lead to exciting discoveries. Scientists found a new colorless subterranean eel named Gangaichthys indonepalicus all thanks to one video. The eel is described in a study recently published in the journal ZooKeys.
In 2024, a team of scientists in northern India saw a short video on TikTok of an unusual small fish coming out of a narrow hole drilled into the ground on the India-Nepal border. The fish’s unique body and the fact that no known fish live in caves, sinkholes, or aquifers (stygobitic fish) in the region prompted the team from India and China to take a closer look.
However, finding actual specimens proved difficult. Scientists manually pumped thousands of gallons of water into the ground using local handpumps.
“Procuring samples of this unusual fish was challenging,” study co-author and zoologist Akshay Khandekar of the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation explained in a statement. “Identifying potential handpumps (borewells) and wells, and obtaining permission from their owners to extract water for the purpose of searching for the fish proved difficult. This became more intensive when we finally began manually pumping water.”
They found their first specimen after pumping roughly 530 gallons of water, but it died immediately during the process. The second specimen was found in the same borewell after an additional 132 gallons of water were added.
The new eel is named Gangaichthys indonepalicus and is the first subterranean fish to be recorded from the Gangetic Basin in northern India. It is only 1.5-inches long and is physically adapted to living in total darkness. It has small eyes covered by skin, a colorless and translucent body, and does not appear to have any ribs. Advanced micro-CT scanning and genetic analysis confirmed that it is also a completely distinct genus within the earthworm eel family Chaudhuriidae.
The genus name Gangaichthys means “fish of the Ganga.”
“The Ganga or Ganges is one of the most important rivers in India, both as a source of fresh water, food and livelihood for millions of people; besides having an important role in the Hindu religion,” Agarwal said. “This is the first stygobitic fish from the Indo-Gangetic plains and from the Gangetic basin.”
The species name indonepalicus reflects that the eel is found on the border between India and Nepal.
According to the team, India’s size and many diverse climates means there are likely many more species like this one waiting to be discovered—whether through TikTok or not.
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