Lucknow, July 4 -- Researchers from the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR), Lucknow, have discovered a brand-new species of deep-sea eel from the Arabian Sea, off the Kerala coast. Named 'Facciolella smithi', the eel is noted for its long, slender body and a distinct duckbill-shaped snout. The discovery was made during an exploratory deep-sea survey conducted between depths of 260 to 460 metres. According to scientists, this species belongs to the rarely studied Nettastomatidae family and has never been reported anywhere in the world before. According to the central institute, the new eel species has been named in honour of renowned marine biologist Dr David G Smith, whose work on eel taxonomy is considered foundational. Director of ICAR-NBFGR, Kajal Chakraborty, said "this marks the 16th new eel species identified by the institute in the last four years. This shows how much of India's deep-sea biodiversity is still waiting to be explored," he said. "These discoveries are not just scientifically important-they could also lead to new opportunities in nutrition and sustainable use of marine resources."...