TikTok helps scientists discover new underground, translucent eel in India

Yes, TikTok and social media can be a huge time suck. But in some cases, it can lead to exciting discoveries. Scientists found a new colorless subterranean eel named Gangaichthys indonepalicus all thanks to one video. The eel is described in a study recently published in the journal ZooKeys.In 2024, a team of scientists in northern India saw a short video on TikTok of an unusual small fish coming out of a narrow hole drilled into the ground on the India-Nepal border. The fish’s unique body