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Gangaichthys indonepalicus described as new stygobitic fish
A 2024 TikTok video showing an eel-like creature from a borewell near the India-Nepal border triggers scientific attention, and the organism is now formally described in 2026 as a new subterranean species, Gangaichthys indonepalicus.
Gangaichthys indonepalicus:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Type | A stygobitic fish comprises an aquatic animal adapted to living in underground water systems. |
| Key characteristics | Gangaichthys indonepalicus comprises a small, blind, and unpigmented earthworm eel. |
| Habitat and life setting | The species’ habitat comprises groundwater systems beneath the Gangetic Basin throughout its entire life. |
| Taxonomic placement | The species comprises family Chaudhuriidae and order Synbranchiformes. |
| Naming and meaning | “Gangaichthys” comprises “fish of the Ganga”, and “indonepalicus” comprises a geographical association with India and Nepal. |
| Field collection challenge | Scientific collection comprises difficulty in identifying suitable borewells, obtaining permissions, and manually pumping thousands of litres across 15 sites, yielding only 3 specimens. |
| Identification challenge | Species confirmation comprises detailed morphological study due to its tiny, colourless, subterranean form. |
| Reported significance | The description comprises expansion of knowledge of groundwater biodiversity in the Indo-Gangetic Basin, aquifers as specialised subterranean ecosystems with unique adaptations, and the evolution of subterranean life in darkness. |