New species of fish discovered in Iran, named "Persian Gulf" + video

Speaking in an interview, Dr. Alavi-Yeganeh explained that the discovery was the result of more than six years of research on the family Sillaginidae. “We had long suspected the existence of an unrecognized species within this family,” he said. “Detailed morphological and genetic analyses finally confirmed that the fish we were studying was indeed a distinct species.”

He added that the newly identified species had previously been classified under Sillago sihama, a fish widely distributed from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific. “However,” he noted, “specific morphological differences in the swim bladder structure, along with mitochondrial DNA sequencing, provided conclusive evidence that we were dealing with a new species unique to the Persian Gulf.”

Dr. Alavi-Yeganeh further explained that the project began as part of a master’s thesis focusing on five known Sillaginidae species from the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. “During a subsequent doctoral project, we conducted comparative morphological and genetic studies on the collected samples, which ultimately led to the formal identification and international registration of Sillago persica,” he said.

Regarding the species’ name, he noted, “The first part, Sillago, denotes the genus, while the second, persica, comes from the Latin term Sinus Persicus, meaning the Persian Gulf. By naming the species after the Persian Gulf, we ensure that every future scientific paper referencing this fish will reaffirm the historical authenticity of the Persian Gulf’s name.”

The marine biologist described Sillago persica as a commercially valuable species that already appears on local dining tables across southern Iran. “Although this fish has been part of regional diets for a long time, independent research on its population and biological characteristics is still needed,” he added. “This marks the sixth Sillaginidae species identified in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and fortunately, none of the previously known species face conservation threats.”

Dr. Alavi-Yeganeh also highlighted the fish’s cultural importance among southern coastal communities. “Local fishermen use different names for this species,” he explained. “In Bushehr and Hormozgan provinces, it’s known as ‘Shoort,’ while Baloch fishermen refer to it as ‘Kandro.’ Many locals believe that the fish’s meat provides nutritional benefits during pregnancy and breastfeeding—though this claim requires scientific verification.”

He added that in a related study, conducted jointly by his research group and the Department of Environmental Sciences at Tarbiat Modares University, high concentrations of heavy metals were detected in some Sillaginidae species from the Persian Gulf, underscoring the importance of monitoring seafood consumption levels in the region.

Dr. Alavi-Yeganeh emphasized that the study was supported by Tarbiat Modares University and the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF), and its findings were published in the prestigious international journal ZooKeys. “This discovery is particularly significant,” he said, “because it marks one of the rare occasions where a new marine species has been independently identified and registered by an entirely Iranian research team.”