Rare Deep-Sea Dragonet Turns Up 2,500 Kilometers From Its Known Home

A South African bigeye dragonet, Synchiropus monacanthus, has been recorded for the first time in Indian waters, about 2,500 kilometers east of its previously known range. The discovery was published in Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria after researchers investigating the bycatch from multi-day trawlers off Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu found six unusual dragonet specimens in March 2025. The fish were brought ashore at the Kottaipattinam Fish Landing Centre on Palk Bay, taken from depths of roughly 100 to 150 meters. All six were female, ranging from 68.2 to 104.5 millimeters standard length, and were confirmed via morphometric and meristic analysis.