# TikTok video leads to discovery of new subterranean eel in India 2026-08-18T15:23:54+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Researchers have discovered a new species of subterranean fish, Gangaichthys indonepalicus, after spotting it in a TikTok video. The colourless, translucent eel, measuring about 4 cm, is the first subterranean fish documented from the Ganges Basin. It was found in a borewell in Bihar, near the India-Nepal border. The team, which included scientists from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation and the Zoological Survey of India, manually pumped water from borewells to obtain specimens. The first specimen died after pumping about 2,000 litres of water. An intact specimen was found after an additional 500 litres. Micro-CT scanning and genetic analysis confirmed it as a new genus, Gangaichthys, in the earthworm eel family Chaudhuriidae. The species name indonepalicus reflects its distribution across the India-Nepal border. Co-author Ishan Agarwal noted the discovery highlights how little is known about subterranean habitats in India, calling for further exploration. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both discoverwildlife.com and popsci.com provide neutral, factual reporting on the discovery. The coverage is uniform straight reporting, with no discernible editorial slant. Both outlets lead with the novelty of the discovery and the role of the TikTok video, and they include the same key details: the species' size, habitat, and the challenges of collection. The only minor difference is that discoverwildlife.com includes more contextual information about other subterranean life and Indian wildlife, while popsci.com frames the story more tightly around the social media angle. The measured takeaway is that this discovery underscores the vast unexplored biodiversity in India's subterranean ecosystems, and further surveys in the Gangetic basin are likely to yield additional new species. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - discoverwildlife.com (neutral report) Straight reporting on discovery, no editorial slant - popsci.com (neutral report) Factual report on discovery, focused on social media angle This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-18T16:07:23+00:00. Tags: Bihar, Ganges Basin, Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, Zoological Survey of India Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/new-colourless-fish-species-discovered-in-bihar-borewell/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/new-colourless-fish-species-discovered-in-bihar-borewell/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/