International Team Discovers New Underground Eel Species in India Following TikTok Video
An international team of scientists has discovered a new genus and species of underground earthworm eel, named Gangaichthys indonepalicus, in Bihar, northern India. This small, colorless creature is the first subterranean fish recorded from the Gangetic Basin. The discovery was prompted by a short video posted on TikTok in 2024, which showed an unusual tiny fish emerging from a borewell near the India-Nepal border. Researchers from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation in Mumbai, Shivaji University in Kolhapur, the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, and the Zoological Survey of India collaborated on the investigation. Securing physical samples involved extensive fieldwork, including manually pumping thousands of liters of water from local hand pumps. The first specimen was damaged, but a second, intact specimen was eventually retrieved after pumping an additional 500 liters of water. The fish measures approximately 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) and exhibits adaptations for life in total darkness, such as re...