Arrested Fishermen, Oman Authority Announces The Discovery Of New Fish Species

Illustration of Oman. (Wikimedia Commons/Mostafameraji)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources Oman on Tuesday documented a new fish species in Oman waters.

An Oman fisherman catches an escalar, a member of the Gempylidae family, off the coast of Mirbat, Dhofar, recently and handed it over to the Directorate General of Fisheries Research.

"This scientific recording and documentation is a great addition to Oman's biodiversity," the ministry said.

The ministry said escolar, which can grow up to more than two meters, is oily fish that comes from tropical and moderate climates around the world.

The ministry thanked the Oman Fishermen's Association for its cooperation in documenting fish, urging all fishermen to report any new fish species they encounter and communicate with researchers in the field.

In addition, the ministry also issued a warning that meat rich in escolar candles could cause keriorrhea, which is also called gempylotoxism or gempylid fish poisoning.

"The symptoms range from stomach cramps to fast defecation, which occurs 30 minutes to 36 hours after consumption," the ministry said.

في إطار التعاون القائم بين الوزارة والجمعية العُمانية للصيادين ومجتمع الصيادين، مركز العلوم البحرية والسمكية يوثق نوع جديد من الأسماك في المياه العُمانية سمكة إسكولار أو ماكريل الثعبان تم اصطيادها في ولاية #مرباط. التفاصيل 🔻https://t.co/d9qgZ0KLjW pic.twitter.com/OtHAhmjU7M

— وزارة الثروة الزراعية والسمكية وموارد المياه (@MAFWR_OM) September 27, 2022