Kozhikode’s official district fish, the rare and endangered Pangio bhujia, locally called ‘paathaala poontharakan’, has resurfaced after a long gap — this time from a well in Nanmanda, much to the delight of ichthyologists and conservationists.

The fish, strikingly red and blind, was spotted when Shijil’s family at Kannankandy in Kallangadithazham noticed two of them emerging from a pipe during water pumping. While one fish died soon after, the other has been safely preserved under the guidance of KUFOS (Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies). A KUFOS team is expected to visit soon to collect the living specimen for further study.

This is only the second such recent sighting in the area, with another fish previously found at the home of Rajendran, also in Kannankandy. Pangio bhujia is typically found in pure, deep subterranean springs, making human sightings exceedingly rare.

The species was first recorded in Cherinchal in 2019, and gained international attention in 2022 when actor Leonardo DiCaprio highlighted it on Instagram, praising the discovery of this near-extinct fish in Kerala.

So far, 11 subterranean fish species have been identified in Kerala, but research remains challenging due to the extreme rarity of specimens. KUFOS officials urge the public not to discard such fish if spotted and instead report them immediately at 99959 26807.