Gangaichthys indonepalicus: New Subterranean Fish Found in Bihar
Why in the news
Researchers have described a new groundwater fish, Gangaichthys indonepalicus, from Bihar. The paper appeared in the journal ZooKeys on 11 August 2026. The search began with a viral social media clip from 2024 showing a tiny fish coming out of a borewell near the India-Nepal border.
Key facts
- A new genus and species of earthworm eel in family Chaudhuriidae (order Synbranchiformes).
- Stygobitic means a species living only in groundwater.
- Found in Pashchim Champaran district, Bihar, in alluvial aquifers.
- About 4 cm long, with colourless body, reduced eyes under skin and no visible ribs.
- DNA differs by more than 20% from related genera.
Research story
The team, including Akshay Khandekar, Tejas Thackeray and Ishan Agarwal, pumped around 2,500 litres of water by hand from borewells to secure just two specimens. One was damaged; the intact one was used for identification. Teams from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Shivaji University, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility and the Zoological Survey of India took part.
Exam angle
- Know the terms stygobitic and subterranean fauna.
- The fish belongs to the earthworm eel family Chaudhuriidae.
- Location: Bihar, in the Gangetic Basin.