Scientists find Pacific fish in sea near Gopalpur

Berhampur: A group of scientists has discovered the goby fish (Bathygobius meggeti), a small fish, in the sea near Gopalpur in Ganjam district. Though the species was recorded in the Indo-West Pacific region, including Japan, Australia, East Africa and Persian Gulf, it was found for the first time in India, said Anil Mohapatra, senior scientist, estuarine biology regional centre, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Gopalpur.

The scientists had collected three live specimens from the artificial rocky intertidal zone of Aryapalli, a fishermen-dominated village in the district in December last year. After thorough studies, they confirmed it was goby fish and new to India, he said. A report on the Meggitt’s goby, (Bathygobius Meggitti) from a coastal habitat in the Bay of Bengal was published in National Academy Science Letters, an international journal on Monday.

It’s discovery in India is biologically important and scientifically noteworthy,” said Mohapatra, who led the research. The species is very small with a head nearly cylindrical and without scales.

The researchers pointed out the emerging ecological importance of artificial rocky habitats that were actually built as shoreline protection and breakwaters for port construction to control coastal erosion. Over time, these constructed artificial rocky barriers have turned into permanent aquatic ecosystems, offering shelter, breeding sites, and feeding grounds to several fishes, invertebrates, and other marine organisms.

The finding of goby fish from such a habitat emphasises the significance of human-made coastal structures in enhancing local marine bio-diversity and give useful insights in coastal management and habitat restoration, he said.

These small fishes use the rock for hiding and feeding on the algae or small invertebrates in the rocky region and also serve as a good source of food for the larger organisms. The discovery of this small species from a small artificial ecosystem emphasises the study of the micro habitat along the coastline for a better understanding of bio-diversity of certain region, said Smrutirekha Acharya, a senior research fellow and another co-author of the article.

Other scientists and researchers involved in the study included a retired scientist of ZSI Subhrendu Sekhar Mishra, ZSI scientist KK Bineesh, senior research fellow Rajesh Kumar Behera, senior zoological assistant TKS Thatachari, research associate Swarup Ranjan Mohanty and Bhaskar Behera of Fakir Mohan University, Balasore.
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