ICAR-CMFRI identifies two more seer fishes from Indian waters

Kochi: In a breakthrough in the marine fisheries sector, the researchers of the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have identified two more species of seer fish, the most sought-after high-value marine fish. They discovered one species named Arabian sparrow seer fish (Scomberomorus avirostrus) as entirely new to science and resurrected the other, Russell’s spotted seer fish (Scomberomorus leopardus) which was previously a synonym of the spotted seer fish. According to the findings by a team of taxonomists led by Dr EM Abdussamad, Principal Scientist of CMFRI, the spotted seer fish (Scomberomorus guttatus) that was once considered a single species, is a complex of three distinct species. These include the newly discovered seer fish, the resurrected seer fish, and the existing spotted seer fish. With this finding, the total number of top-demanding seer fish species in Indian waters rose to six from the existing four species. This discovery emerged from a ...