The rare discovery of a deep-sea telescope octopus off the Kerala coast has sparked serious concern among marine scientists, who warn that unregulated deep-sea shrimp trawling may be causing extensive damage to marine ecosystems, fish stocks and the livelihoods of fishing communities.
The warning follows the first confirmed record of the telescope octopus (Amphitretus pelagicus) in Indian waters. The specimen was documented from the Laccadive Sea after being caught as bycatch off the Kollam coast last year, and the finding has now been published in the Russian Journal of Marine Biology a peer-reviewed journal by Springer.
While the discovery is being hailed as a significant scientific milestone, researchers involved in the study say it has also exposed major gaps in the monitoring and regulation of deep-sea fishing activities in Kerala, particularly shrimp trawling.
According to the study, deep-sea shrimp trawling operations typically generate between 20% and 40% bycatch, which includes juvenile fish and non-target species. In some cases, bycatch levels can rise as high as 80%, depending on the depth, location and fishing practices used. With the annual landing of major deep-sea shrimp species in Kerala exceeding 2,000 tonnes, scientists estimate that between 500 and 1,300 tonnes of non-target marine organisms are discarded at sea every year.
Researchers warn that such large-scale discarding poses a serious threat to the long-term sustainability of fish stocks and could trigger cascading economic impacts across the fisheries sector. These effects would not be limited to small-scale fishers alone but could also affect boat owners, fish traders and other allied industries that depend on healthy marine resources.
“The discovery shows how little we know about our deep-sea marine ecosystems,” said P J Sarlin, head of the Department of Zoology at Fatima Mata National College, Kollam, who led the study. “The telescope octopus was not caught through a targeted operation but turned up as bycatch. That itself is a warning. If fragile and rare deep-sea species are appearing when nets dredge through deep waters, it points to serious gaps in monitoring and management of deep-sea fishing.”
The telescope octopus is known for its transparent, gelatinous body and distinctive tubular eyes, which are specially adapted for life in the midwater zone of the deep ocean. Although the species is currently listed as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List, the researchers caution that this classification reflects a lack of comprehensive population data rather than confirmed population stability. This uncertainty is especially pronounced in Indian waters, where deep-sea biodiversity remains poorly explored and documented.
Sarlin warned that the unchecked expansion of deep-sea shrimp trawling could have long-term and potentially irreversible consequences. “Marine ecosystems are extremely delicate and recover very slowly. Once the damage is done, it may be irreversible,” she said, adding that deep-sea habitats are particularly vulnerable because of their slow regeneration rates.
The study calls for stronger regulatory oversight of deep-sea fishing, including systematic monitoring of trawling activities, regular assessment of bycatch levels and dedicated research programmes focused on deep-sea biodiversity. Scientists stress that without reliable data on species composition and population trends, policymakers will struggle to strike a balance between exploitation and conservation.
“We need a better balance between fishing and conservation,” Sarlin said. “If we fail to act now, these resources and the livelihoods that depend on them could slip out of our hands.”
The research team included Vyacheslav Bizikov, a marine biologist at the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography in Moscow, and Lijin Kunnathully Gopi, a data scientist. Together, they emphasised that the rare octopus discovery should be treated not just as a scientific curiosity, but as a warning signal about the hidden costs of poorly regulated deep-sea fishing along India’s coastline.