Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept 28: In a significant recognition of his contributions to Indian fish taxonomy and biodiversity research, Indian ichthyologist Dr. J. Praveenraj has been honoured through the naming of a newly described congrid eel species, Ariosoma praveeni. The new species was described by Dr. Paramasivam Kodeeswaran, a scientist associated with the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi, in collaboration with Emma S. Karmovskaya of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences. The species was collected from approximately 600 m depth off the Kollam coast in the Arabian Sea and has been formally described in Zootaxa in August 2026. The authors named the species Ariosoma praveeni in honour of Dr. J. Praveenraj for his enormous contributions to Indian freshwater and marine fish taxonomy and biodiversity studies. This recognition represents a proud moment for Indian ichthyology and acknowledges Dr. Praveenraj’s sustained efforts towards documenting, understanding and conserving India’s rich fish diversity.
