A remarkable scientific discovery has emerged from Pashan Lake in Pune, where a new species of planarian worm has been identified. Named Dugesia punensis, this species marks the first new Indian planarian discovery in over 40 years.
The breakthrough was made by Ph.D. researcher Mithila Chinchalkar and her guide Dr. Ravindra Kshirsagar from the Department of Zoology at Modern College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, Ganeshkhind. The species name punensis pays tribute to Pune, the city of its discovery.
The specimen was found in the freshwater ecosystem of Pashan Lake, located in western India, and has been officially deposited at the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). Their research has been published in the prestigious journal Records of the Zoological Survey of India.
This discovery was celebrated by institutional leaders, including Modern College President Prof. Dr. Gajanan Ekbote, Joint Secretary Prof. Dr. Jyotsna Ekbote, and Secretary Prof. Shamkant Deshmukh, along with Principal Dr. Sanjay Kharat. The scientific team at ZSI’s Western Regional Centre (WRC) also acknowledged and praised the work.
Planarians, known as aquatic flatworms, are valued for their exceptional regenerative abilities, even when cut into multiple parts, each piece can regenerate into a complete organism. This characteristic makes them crucial in stem cell research and regenerative biology.
The discovery of Dugesia punensis is not only a significant addition to India’s local biodiversity but also holds global importance in advancing biological and medical research.
