Renowned scientist Dr. Tapas Chatterjee has reached a remarkable milestone in his academic career with the publication of his 200th research paper, further strengthening his reputation as an internationally recognized expert in marine biology and taxonomy.
The landmark research paper, titled “Ciliate epibionts (Ciliophora) associated with rocky shore mites (Acari) from sub-Antarctic islands,” was published on March 31, 2026, in the international journal Protistology, which is published from Russia.
The study was co-authored by leading international researchers, including Igor Dovgal and Alie Abibulaeva from the A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas (Russia), Andrzej Zawal from the University of Szczecin (Poland), and David J. Marshall from the University Brunei Darussalam.
This significant research documents the first-ever record of two species of peritrich epibiont ciliates found on intertidal mites from sub-Antarctic islands such as Gough Island, Marion Island, Heard Island, and Macquarie Island.
A major highlight of the publication is the discovery and description of a new species, Stylohedra algophagae Chatterjee et al., identified from supratidal pools at Macaroni Bay on Marion Island. This species belongs to the ciliata group and exists as an epibiont attached to mites of the Algophagidae family under the phylum Arthropoda.
In addition, another species, Cothurnia halacaricola Precht, 1935, has been reported for the first time in the sub-Antarctic region. It was found on oribatid and halacarid mites across multiple islands, expanding scientific understanding of biodiversity in extreme environments.
Dr. Chatterjee, a resident of Hirapur in Dhanbad, has made extraordinary contributions to science, having discovered approximately 140 new species and four new genera during his career. Out of his 200 research publications, 168 have been published in international journals, while 32 appeared in Indian journals. He has also been the first author in 117 of these publications.
His body of work includes two monographs published in Zootaxa and a book released by the Russian Academy of Sciences, reflecting his extensive research contributions at the global level.
This milestone underscores Dr. Chatterjee’s dedication and enduring impact in the field of marine taxonomy and ciliate epibiont research, placing Dhanbad on the global scientific map.
