ZSI scientists, global experts come across new species of deep-sea skate
Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), in collaboration with ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and international experts, have discovered a new species of deep-sea skate in the Arabian Sea off India’s southwestern coast, an official said on Tuesday.
The discovery was made during surveys carried out under the Ministry of Earth Sciences Deep Ocean Mission, aimed at studying and documenting little-known marine life in India’s deep waters.
A deep-sea skate is a flat, shark-related fish that lives on the dark bed of the ocean.
The new species, commonly called the Arabian skate, can grow up to about 1.3 metres in length and was found at depths of 400 to 600 metres off the Kerala coast and in the Wadge Bank region.
Scientists identified the skate as a distinct species after examining its physical features and conducting genetic studies. One of its most noticeable features is five rows of thorn-like structures along its tail, a ZSI spokesperson said Tuesday.
Genetic testing also showed that the Arabian Skate is different from its closest known relative, the Travancore Skate, with the two species showing a genetic difference of around 3.8 to 4.7 per cent.
The species had remained unidentified for more than four decades and was earlier mistaken for another type of deep-sea skate. It has also frequently been caught as bycatch in deep-sea shrimp trawling operations.
The scientists have named the new species after Dr Dhriti Banerjee, the first woman Director of the Zoological Survey of India, in recognition of her contribution to research on India’s biodiversity. “The deep sea remains largely unexplored, and every survey provides a crucial opportunity to expand our understanding of marine biodiversity,” Banerjee said.
Banerjee further said deep-sea skates are particularly vulnerable to overfishing because they generally reproduce slowly, have few offspring and take a long time to recover when their populations decline. “Identifying these species before their populations decline is essential for developing effective, targeted conservation strategies,” she said.
The research team, comprising ZSI scientists KK Bineesh and Anil Kasinath, CMFRI scientist Akhilesh KV and US-based shark expert David A Ebert, has also mapped the Kollam Slope Important Shark and Ray Area within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
The presence of the newly identified skate in the region highlights the need for closer monitoring and protection of vulnerable deep-sea habitats, the spokesperson said.
The ZSI is continuing surveys and genetic studies under the Deep Ocean Mission and expects to identify more previously unknown species of sharks and related marine animals in Indian waters.
