Guwahati, June 11 -- A team of researchers has rediscovered two elusive species, the swamp eel (Ophichthys hodgarti) and the velvet worm (Typhloperipatus williamsoni), in Arunachal Pradesh, more than a hundred years after they were last recorded.

The team spotted the swamp eel in Siang Valley in 2022, marking the species' first confirmed sighting since the Abor Expedition of 1911-1912.

Their findings appeared in the recent issue of Zootaxa. Sharing the news on social media, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein expressed his excitement and highlighted the eel's unique ability to breathe air and its limited habitat range in the region.

Researchers also confirmed the presence of the rare velvet worm in the areas of Kallek a...