• The discovery of these new worms have been published in a study titled ‘Description of Two New Species of Nereidids (Annelida: Neredidae) from West Bengal, India, Bay of Bengal.

Two New Marine Worm Species: Nereididae is part of the marine polychaete worm family which is commonly known as ragworms or clam worms.

• Namalycastis solenotognatha is derived from the two Greek words i.e. solenotos (channelled) and gnatha (jaw) due to its unique jaws with a large number of  canals that emerge from the pulp cavity.
• Nereis dhritiae: It is named after Dhriti Banerjee, the 1st woman director of ZSI, India’s oldest taxonomic research organisation.
• These two new segmented worm species are recognised by their long slender bodies, distinct head with eyes and tentacles, and parapodia.

New Dragonfly Species: Researchers discovered a new dragon species, named Lyriothemis keralensis, in the low-lying coastal areas of Kerala.

• The new dragonfly species commonly known as the ‘Slender Bombardier’, was initially identified in 2013 in the Varapetty region of Kothamangalam (Kerala).
• The discovery of new dragonfly species has been published in the International Journal of Odonatology.
• Some of its features are: slender abdomen along with unique tail and genital structure.

About Zoological Survey of India (ZSI):
Director- Dr. Dhriti Banerjee
Headquarters- Kolkata, West Bengal (WB)
Established- 1916