Researchers discover yet another subterranean snake-head species from Kerala
Researchers describe species discovered from Thiruvalla as Aenigmachanna mahabali
Researchers have discovered yet another subterranean snakehead species from Kerala. The newly discovered fish, a cousin of the well-known varaal and cher meen, is characterised by an elongate body, small size, a very large mouth, and fin rays of the pectoral fin being greatly elongated as filamentous extensions.
It is hypothesized that the extensions may be sensory in nature and used by the fish to find its way in the dark by touch. The researchers at the Peninsular and Marine Fish Genetic Resources Centre of National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Kochi have described the species as ‘Aenigmachanna mahabali’. The fish was collected by Arun Vishwanath, a native of Thiruvalla from the well in his house in April last year.
According to researchers, these small fishes belong to the ‘varaal’ and ‘chermeen’ family. It has a long body, a large mouth. Its most remarkable feature is its long pectoral fins which are believed to help the fish find its way in the dark.
The discovery of this species comes on the heels of ‘Aenigmachanna gollum’, found earlier this year from Malappuram. It is remarkable that two species of Aenigmachanna have been discovered almost simultaneously, with a distance of over 200 km separating them.
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With a variety of freshwater resources, Kerala is home to over 300 species of fish. In India, Kerala is an undisputed hotspot of subterranean fish diversity, with nine species known mostly from Central Kerala in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.
