Leonardo DiCaprio puts spotlight on Indian ‘citizen scientist’ who discovered new fish in his bathroom

Breakthrough discovery of tiny fish was made by Abraham A in 2020

Leonardo DiCaprio has shone the spotlight on an Indian man who accidentally discovered a rare new species of subterranean fish “while taking a shower”.

The Oscar-winning Hollywood superstar praised Abraham A, who hails from Kerala, for the remarkable discovery made nearly three years ago and hailed the importance of “citizen science”.

The Revenant actor, well known for his climate change activism, renewed attention on Mr Abraham’s 2020 discovery with an Instagram post.

“The wild is all around us and sometimes all it takes to discover a new species is going about a normal day. This was the case for Mr Abraham, a local stage director living in Kerala State, India, who discovered a new species of fish while taking a shower,” the actor said.

Mr Abraham, who is a former paramilitary soldier living in the state’s Alappuzha district, made a significant scientific breakthrough when he was taking a shower at his home and noticed “a red thread in the bucket”.

After a closer look, he noticed the tiny, snake-like creature moving and placed it inside a glass jar to get researchers’ help in getting the mysterious organism identified.

The new species was identified by researchers at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) as a subterranean fish named Pathala Eel Loach.

Its name “Pathala” is derived from a Sanskrit word which means below the feet.

Following the discovery, Mr Abraham found four more fish from the same species in his well and water tank over the course of a few days.

“I thought it was a red thread. However, it was moving. Having read news of the discovery of such creatures in our region, I transferred the organism to a jar and contacted college professor Benny Thomas, who lived nearby,” Mr Abraham said at the time.

“He connected me to researchers in Kufos who urged me to look for more organisms. I checked my water tank which pumps water from a 17ft-deep well and found three more fish,” he said.

“I am happy my finding helped the youngsters accomplish their research. It made me and my friends learn more about citizen-science surveys. We will continue as informants if we come across similar species,” he further said.

The Titanic actor said “citizen science” is “the key for researchers to study these unknown, underground ecosystems”.

“Hidden from light and isolated beneath the soil’s surface in the narrow aquifers of the southern Indian state of Kerala, live sightless subterranean freshwater fish like the new Pathala Eel Loach. Despite this fortuitous discovery, accessing these fishes and unlocking their secrets is no easy task,” DiCaprio said.