New deep-sea shark: type specimens kept at ZSI Chennai

12 November 2026 · English Environment & Ecology

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New deep-sea shark: type specimens kept at ZSI Chennai

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Current affairs of 12 November 2026 (Shanmugam IAS Academy) – explained for UPSC, TNPSC and other competitive exams

News

Scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and ICAR-CMFRI have described a new deep-sea shark, Echinorhinus roinee (common name Indian Bramble Shark). For decades it had been mistaken for the Atlantic bramble shark. Its type specimens are kept in the National Zoological Collections at ZSI's Marine Biology Regional Centre (MBRC), Chennai (announced 11 Nov 2026).

Key facts for the exam

Point	Details
Species	Echinorhinus roinee – Indian Bramble Shark
Named after	Roinee, daughter of ZSI Director Dr Dhriti Banerjee
Specimens landed	Sakthikulangara fishing harbour, Kollam (Keralam), as trawl bycatch
Habitat	Continental slope, about 350–450 m deep; grows to about 3 m
Journal	Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Vol. 126 (2026)
Funding	Deep Ocean Mission, Ministry of Earth Sciences

Background

Type specimens: the holotype is the single specimen that bears the species name; paratypes are the other specimens studied with it. They are kept in a national collection so that future scientists can check the identity.
DNA barcoding (mitochondrial DNA) showed it is a separate Indian Ocean lineage, distinct from E. brucus (Atlantic) and E. cookei (Pacific). Similar records from Oman, Sri Lanka and Thailand suggest a wider range.
Sharks belong to class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes, no swim bladder). Deep-sea sharks grow slowly and breed slowly, so wrong identification hides their true status.
ZSI was founded on 1 July 1916 in Kolkata under the Environment Ministry. Other 2026 MBRC finds include the catshark Apristurus drona.

Tamil Nadu link: ZSI's Marine Biology Regional Centre in Chennai studies marine animals of India's seas and keeps national type collections. Chennai also hosts NIOT, which is building the Matsya 6000 submersible for Samudrayaan under the same Deep Ocean Mission.

Frequently asked questions

What is this news about?

What are the key facts to remember for the exam?

Species: Echinorhinus roinee – Indian Bramble Shark; Named after: Roinee, daughter of ZSI Director Dr Dhriti Banerjee; Specimens landed: Sakthikulangara fishing harbour, Kollam (Keralam), as trawl bycatch; Habitat: Continental slope, about 350–450 m deep; grows to about 3 m.

What is the background to this news?

Type specimens: the holotype is the single specimen that bears the species name; paratypes are the other specimens studied with it. They are kept in a national collection so that future scientists can check the identity.

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Sources: Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Vol. 126(1S): 41–58 (2026); Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata (11 Nov 2026). Compiled by Shanmugam IAS Academy.

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