Bombay swamp eel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bombay swamp eel |
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Amphipnous indicus Silas & Dawson, 1961 |
The Bombay swamp eel (Ophichthys indicus) is a special type of fish. People in Maharashtra, India sometimes call it the paytop in Marathi. It belongs to a family of fish called Synbranchidae. This unique fish only lives in certain parts of Maharashtra.
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What's in a Name?
Scientists give names to all living things to help study them. The Bombay swamp eel's scientific name is Ophichthys indicus. This fish's name has changed a few times! At first, scientists put it in a group called Amphipnous. Later, they moved it to a group called Monopterus. But in 2020, new studies showed that this fish, along with about four others, was different enough to have its own special group. So, scientists brought back an older name, Ophichthys, just for them.
Where Does It Live?
The Bombay swamp eel lives only in the northern Western Ghats mountains in Maharashtra, India. It has been found in about 5 to 10 places. These include Robber's Cave and Dhobi Falls near Mahabaleshwar. It also lives near Kanheri Falls in Mumbai, and in the Tamhini and Tail Baila areas of Pune. Scientists think it might live in other places too.
What Kind of Home Does It Like?
This fish lives in swamps and wet, muddy areas near small streams in the hills. When the monsoon season starts, adult eels swim upstream to lay their eggs. Inside caves, O. indicus likes to hide in piles of bat droppings. In the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, these eels are found in small, rocky puddles on flat, rocky areas called lateritic plateaus. This happens during the monsoon season. They can even survive in strange places! In 2012, workers found a live O. indicus in a pile of cow dung inside a biogas plant in Pune. The plant had been closed for over 8 years and had almost no water.
How Does It Behave?
Bombay swamp eels are active at night. During the day, they hide under rocks or hang onto tree roots near stream edges. They must breathe air to survive. They often float on the water's surface to take a breath. Then they dive underwater for 3 to 5 minutes before coming back up for more air. They mostly eat earthworms. They create a vacuum with their mouths to suck the worms in. If an O. indicus feels threatened, it can show its fangs. This makes it look like a snake, which can scare away predators. This is a type of Batesian mimicry. They can also burrow into the mud. They use a special slime from their body to completely hide if they sense danger.
Why Is It in Danger?
The O. indicus is considered a Vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. This means it is at risk of becoming extinct. Its home is changing because of cities growing, trees being cut down, and people doing activities on mountain tops. These changes hurt the fish. Until the 1980s, there were many of these fish in the Satara district. But then they disappeared. The one found in the biogas plant in 2012 was the first sighting in a long time. A study in 2019 found that the species is close to disappearing. One big problem is roadkills. During the monsoon, many eels crawl across roads. Cars and trucks can hit them. This has caused them to disappear from places like Lonavala and Tamhini Ghat. Flat, rocky areas are often used for wind farms and cutting down trees, which destroys the eels' homes. Other areas are blasted for farms, mined for rock, or used for houses and city waste. Eels can live on farmland, but they are at risk from fertilizer runoff. People also sometimes mistake them for snakes and kill them. Factories also release dirty water into their homes. Climate change also affects them. It causes less rain or rain that comes at strange times. Many conservation actions are needed to save this special fish from disappearing forever.
