Gangaichthys
| Gangaichthys | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Synbranchiformes |
| Family: | Chaudhuriidae |
| Genus: | Gangaichthys Khandekar, Thackeray, He, Mohapatra & Agarwal 2026 |
| Species: | G. indonepalicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Gangaichthys indonepalicus Khandekar, Thackeray, He, Mohapatra & Agarwal 2026 | |
Gangaichthys indonepalicus is a species of subterranean fish from Asia that was first described to science in 2026.[1][2] It is the only species in the genus Gangaichthys. Researchers first became aware of the species because of a video posted to the "social media platform TikTok in 2024 from the India-Nepal border area that showed a tiny, apparently stygobitic fish, with little melanin and reduced eyes, that had emerged from a borewell."[3] This triggered searches in the area that yielded a new genus and species of earthworm eel.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ Graham, Daniel (2026-08-18). "Researchers looked inside an Indian well – and found a colourless creature hidden in the darkness". Discover Wildlife. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ "TikTok video leads to discovery of new underground fish species". Nature India. 2026-08-21. doi:10.1038/d44151-026-00164-z. ISSN 1755-3180.
- ↑ Khandekar, Akshay; Thackeray, Tejas; He, You; Mohapatra, Anil; Agarwal, Ishan (2026-08-11). "Gangaichthys indonepalicus, a new genus and species of miniature stygobitic earthworm eel (Synbranchiformes, Chaudhuriidae) from alluvial aquifers in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Bihar, northern India". ZooKeys (1289): 185–202. doi:10.3897/zookeys.1289.188089. ISSN 1313-2970. PMC 13487515. PMID 42621353.
- ↑ Edwards, Stephanie. "Caught on TikTok, This Translucent Earthworm Eel Is a New Species Built for Total Darkness". Discover Magazine. Archived from the original on 2026-08-19. Retrieved 2026-08-24.