TikTok Video Leads Scientists to New Earthworm-Like Fish

A scroll through TikTok just led to one of 2024's most surprising scientific discoveries: a fish that looks and moves like an earthworm.

The creature, now named Gangaichthys indonepalicus, appeared in a video filmed near the India-Nepal border. Someone had pumped it out of a borewell, a deep hole drilled into the ground to reach drinking water from underground aquifers.

Scientists watching the clip immediately knew something was off. The pale, wriggling animal looked nothing like typical fish, and it came from pitch-black groundwater where no known fish species lived.

An international research team from India, China, and other institutions decided to track down the mysterious creature. What they found was worth the exhausting effort.

"Procuring samples of this unusual fish was challenging," said researcher Akshay Khandekar of the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation. The team had to identify potential borewells, get permission from owners, and then manually pump thousands of liters of water.

The first specimen emerged after pumping roughly 2,000 liters but died immediately from the process. After pumping another 500 liters, they finally caught an intact specimen.

The fish measures about four centimeters long and has evolved remarkable adaptations for life in total darkness. Living deep underground for countless generations, it developed tiny, heavily reduced eyes since sight became useless.

Without large fins, the fish moves by wriggling through saturated soil and water-filled sediment. It looks so much like an earthworm that only micro-CT scanning and genetic analysis could confirm it was actually a fish representing an entirely new genus.

Why This Inspires

This discovery shows how modern technology connects curious observers with scientists in unexpected ways. A simple social media video became the key to finding a species that had been hiding beneath our feet all along.

The fish also represents the first stygobitic species (organisms adapted to permanent darkness in groundwater) found in the Indo-Gangetic plains. That means vast underground ecosystems may exist that we've barely begun to explore.

"Gangaichthys means fish of the Ganga," explained researcher Agarwal, naming it after one of India's most important rivers. The Ganges provides fresh water, food, and livelihood for millions of people while holding deep religious significance.

The research team published their findings in the journal ZooKeys, officially adding this earthworm eel family member to the scientific record.

Sometimes the most amazing discoveries happen when everyday people share what they see and scientists stay curious enough to investigate.