Leonardo DiCaprio amazed by rare groundwater fish 'Pathala Eel Loach' captured by Malayali enthusiast

Oscar award winner Leonardo Di Caprio, who is also known for his environmental activism posted a picture of a recently discovered eel loach in the state of Kerala. The Pangio Pathala Eel Loach was discovered in 2020 but Leo's post made more people aware of the finding----by Amrita Ghosh

Abraham, a native of Chengannur, was taking a shower in the comfort of his own house when he came upon a worm-like creature with a slimy appearance. This middle-aged man was so fascinated by it that he put it in a jar, added some water, and put it away before reporting it to the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS). The following day, a group of experts from the university went to his home, and as a result of their investigation, a new species of underground eel loach known as the Pangio Pathala or Pathala Eel Loach was discovered. The finding was quickly published in the taxonomy magazine Zootaxa, which is situated in New York City.

Despite the fact that the finding was discovered in October 2020, many people have only lately been aware of it, thanks to Oscar award winner Leonardo Di Caprio, who is also an ardent environmental activist.

The Titanic actor posted the picture of the eel and captioned the post as, “The wild is all around us and sometimes all it takes to discover a new species is going about a normal day. This was the case for Mr. Abraham, a local stage director living in Kerala State, India, who discovered a new species of fish while taking a shower.”

He also added that, “Hidden from light and isolated beneath the soil’s surface in the narrow aquifers of the southern Indian state of Kerala, live sightless subterranean freshwater fish like the new Pathala Eel Loach. Despite this fortuitous discovery, accessing these fishes and unlocking their secrets is no easy task.”