Overview
- The species are named Namalycastis solenotognatha and Nereis dhritiae, the latter honoring ZSI director Dr Dhriti Banerjee.
- Specimens were collected at Digha and Bankiput in Purba Medinipur along the northern Bay of Bengal.
- Namalycastis solenotognatha inhabits sulfide-rich, organically enriched mudflats among decomposing mangrove wood and hardened clay.
- Nereis dhritiae was found inside wooden dock piles on sandy beaches that are submerged during high tide.
- A ZSI-led study with collaborators Jyoshna Pradhan, Anil Mohapatra, and Tulio F. Villalobos-Guerrero reports resilience in polluted or highly exposed habitats and calls for expanded surveys and validation of their bioindicator value.