Now Reading: Scientists identify new deep-sea catshark off Kerala coast
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Scientists identify new deep-sea catshark off Kerala coast
Scientists have described Apristurus drona, a new deepwater catshark species found off Kerala’s coast. Researchers identified it from four specimens collected as bycatch from deep-sea shrimp trawlers at depths of 400 to…
The Story in Brief
Scientists have described Apristurus drona, a new deepwater catshark species found off Kerala’s coast. Researchers identified it from four specimens collected as bycatch from deep-sea shrimp trawlers at depths of 400 to 650 metres near Kollam, and at Sakthikulangara Fisheries Harbour. Morphological and DNA analyses found the fish distinct from related species. Its genetic difference from its closest known relative was 5.5% to 5.7%. The species was described in a paper published in Zootaxa earlier this year, as part of a Ministry of Earth Sciences Deep Ocean Mission project.
The researchers said A. drona’s abundance, distribution, biology and mortality rates remain unknown, leaving it data-deficient. It is the first Apristurus species recorded from India’s southwest coast. Scientists also said records of four other Apristurus species in Indian waters remain uncertain.
The Indian Opinion
The discovery should not become either a trophy story about India’s unexplored seas or proof that every deep-sea catch is an ecological crisis. The evidence is narrower: four specimens establish a species, not its population size or threat level. Claims about its ecological role also need field data, especially since it has no commercial value and is rarely found in bycatch. The useful next test is whether repeated surveys can measure its abundance and trawler-related mortality.
Source: india.mongabay.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
