Cyttopsis indica

Cyttopsis indica Latest News

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi in Kerala recently discovered a new deep-sea fish named Cyttopsis indica from the Arabian Sea off southern Kerala.

About Cyttopsis indica

• It is a new species of deep-sea fish.
• It was discovered from the Arabian Sea off southern Kerala,  at a depth of nearly 350 to 500 metres below sea level.  
• It belongs to the genus Cyttopsis, a primitive group of marine fishes commonly known as “dories.”  
• Cyttopsis indica has been given the common name Indian Dory.
• Previously, it was believed that the fish belonging to this genus in the Indian Ocean were of the species Zenopsis Conchifer or related Atlantic variations like Zenopsis Stabilis.
• However, detailed genetic analysis and close evaluation of morphological differences proved that the Indian Dory possesses a distinct genetic structure entirely separate from its Atlantic and other known counterparts.
• It can survive under immense pressure by storing high levels of waxy compounds in their bodies, making some of them unsuitable for direct human consumption.

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Key Facts about Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute 

• It was established by the Government of India on February 3rd 1947 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• It later became a member of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) family in 1967.
• The headquarters was shifted from Mandapam Camp in Tamil Nadu  to Kochi in Kerala  in 1971.  
• Over the years CMFRI has emerged as a leading tropical marine fisheries research institute in the world. 
• Mandate:
  • To monitor the exploitation and assess the under-exploitation of the marine fisheries resources of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 
  • To understand the fluctuations in abundance of marine fisheries resources in relation to change in the environment.
  • To develop suitable mariculture technologies for finfish, shellfish and other culturable organisms in open seas to supplement capture fishery production. 
  • To act as a repository of information on marine fishery resources with a systematic database. 
  • To conduct transfer of technology, post graduate and specialized training, education and extension education programmes.
  • To provide consultancy services. 

News: TH