Leonardo DiCaprio praises Indian man's discovery of rare fish species

Almost three years ago, an Indian man discovered a rare new species of fish and his discovery recently, gained renewed fame after Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio praised it online.

In 2020, Abraham A, a former paramilitary soldier from Kerala, discovered a new species of subterranean fish called the Pathala Eel Loach, named after the Sanskrit term "Pathala," which means "below the feet," alluding to its underground habitat.

This species, resembling a small snake, resides in aquifers — extensive layers of porous rock and sediment that contain underground water.

While taking a bath, Abraham who hails from the Alappuzha district, stumbled upon an unexpected discovery as he noticed a red thread in the bucket and upon closer inspection, found that it was moving. This unprecedented discovery left him intrigued.

After Abraham made the discovery of a new fish species, he placed it in a glass jar and reached out to Dr Binoy Thomas, a local college professor who later referred him to researchers at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) who were able to identify the species.

A few weeks later, four additional fish from the same species were found in Abraham's well and water tank.

According to the BBC, last week, Leonardo DiCaprio, an environmental campaigner, brought attention back to the fascinating discovery of the Pathala Eel Loach by posting a colourful picture on Instagram and praising Abraham.

"The wild is all around us and sometimes all it takes to discover a new species is going about a normal day," the actor said.

The discovery, DiCaprio wrote, showed "how citizen science" was the "key for researchers to study these unknown, underground ecosystems".

The Pathala Eel Loach is a type of fish that lives in underground water, unlike most fish that live in rivers, lakes, or surface water.

"We have around 17-18 such species in India and at least 11 of these are in Kerala," Dr Rajeev Raghavan, an assistant professor at Kufos, told BBC.

These fish have a distinct characteristic of only being present in certain regions like India, China (which boasts the highest number of groundwater fish), and Mexico.

According to Raghavan, catching these fish is only possible when they happen to come out through taps as they reside in groundwater.

During the summer, fish can sometimes be found in wells that are connected to aquifers.

Kerala has the largest number of homestead wells in India, with nearly seven million structures located in the state's highland and midland regions.

For example, in Abraham's situation, there is a possibility that the fish could have migrated from the groundwater into the well. From there, it could have travelled to the water tank on the roof and eventually ended up in his bucket through the tap.

"It is an accidental opportunistic kind of sampling," said Raghavan.

The scientist explains that groundwater fish were not known until the 1950s. Kerala's existence was confirmed in 2015 when Kufos studied them under a state government-funded project. The university launched a Citizen Science Network to educate people about these fish.

"We told them to call us or send us a message. That is how we have collected more than 150 specimens of all the 11 species," Raghavan said.

According to scientists, the discovery of the Pathala Eel Loach holds significance in terms of evolution.

"Most groundwater fish are ancient," Raghavan said, adding that a study conducted on one of the 11 species discovered in Kerala revealed that they originated 125 million years ago, during the time when dinosaurs existed on Earth.

"This means that all fish trapped in underground systems have been around for millions of years," he said.

Abraham found the discovery to be important from the start, but it became even more meaningful after DiCaprio's post.

"Such a big man has taken my name. I am elated and very happy," he said.