ICAR-CMFRI Discovers New Deep-Sea Conger Eel Species Ariosoma cmfriense in the Arabian Sea

16 September 2026· KeralaNational

Scientists at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have identified a new conger eel species from the deep waters of the Arabian Sea, announced on 16 September 2026. Named Ariosoma cmfriense after the institute, it was collected in January 2026 off Kollam, Kerala, at a depth of about 300 metres. The genus Ariosoma now has 13 recognised species. Its diagnostic features include a total vertebral count of 135 and 127-130 lateral-line pores. The discovery was made under the Deep Ocean Mission of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and the holotype has been deposited in the CMFRI Marine Biodiversity Museum in Kerala.

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ICAR-CMFRI, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, was established in 1947 and is headquartered at Kochi, Kerala, under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research | The Deep Ocean Mission was approved in 2021 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences and includes the Samudrayaan manned submersible project with the vehicle Matsya-6000 | Conger eels belong to the family Congridae

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