ZSI Scientists Discover New Marine Nematode Species Pheronous jairajpurii on Tamil Nadu Coast.
Environment
In May 2025, scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), discovered a new species of free-living marine nematode on a sandy beach along the Tamil Nadu coast. The species has been named Pheronous jairajpurii Datta & Rizvi, 2025.
- This finding marks the third species identified under the rare genus Pheronous. The first was reported in South Africa in 1966, followed by the second in China in 2015, which was also observed in Korea in 2023. The Indian discovery adds significant value to the limited global documentation of this genus.
- The research was conducted by Dr. Anjum Nasreen Rizvi (Senior Scientist) and Ritika Datta (Researcher) of ZSI.
- Their findings have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa, contributing valuable insights to marine biodiversity and nematode taxonomy.
Main Point :- (i) The newly identified species, Pheronous jairajpurii Datta & Rizvi, 2025, belongs to the family Ironidae under the order Enoplida, a group of free-living marine nematodes.
(ii) This species plays a vital role in marine ecosystem health, serving as a bioindicator that helps scientists monitor coastal environmental conditions. It also contributes to nutrient cycling and acts as an early warning system for pollution and ecological changes.
(iii) The species is named in honor of the late Professor M.S. Jairajpuri, a distinguished Indian nematologist known for his pioneering contributions to the study and classification of nematodes in India.
About Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
Director : Dr. Dhriti Banerjee
Headquarters : Kolkata, West Bengal
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