Hypogean Freshwater Eel

In News

• A new species of swamp eel belonging to the genus Rakthamicthys that is endemic to India was discovered in a well in Mumbai.

Key Points

• It was named Rakthamichthys mumba.
• Unlike other species of its genus, the mumba lacks eyes, fins and scales, has jaws equal in forwarding extent, different gill aperture, crescentic-shaped cephalic.
• The species differs from its congener from Western Ghats of India by the possession of jaws-projecting forward equally, when viewed laterally, absence of eyes and having more vertebrae.
• The present known habitat of the species is only the Mumbai well.
• Members of the family synbranchidae are very peculiar, relict lineages of percomorphs, consisting of eel-like fishes, distributed across all countries except Antarctica. Presently, this family consists of 26 valid species and are unique among teleosts by lacking paired, median and caudal fins.

Image Courtesy: TH

Source: TH