An Indian man who discovered a rare new species of fish almost three years ago has found renewed fame after Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio praised him online.

Abraham A, a former paramilitary soldier from the southern state of Kerala, found a new species of subterranean fish called Pathala Eel Loach in 2020.

The fish gets its name from the Sanskrit word Pathala which means "below the feet", a reference to its subterranean nature.

The small, snake-like species lives in aquifers - large layers of permeable rock and sediments that hold groundwater.

Mr Abraham, who lives in Alappuzha district, said the discovery was made by chance - he was taking a bath when he spotted "a red thread in the bucket".

Intrigued, he scooped it out to take a closer look and found the thread was moving.

Mr Abraham placed it inside a glass jar and contacted a local college professor, Dr Binoy Thomas, who put him in touch with researchers at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos), who identified the new species.

Over the next few weeks, they found four more fish from the same species in Mr Abraham's well and water tank.

The fascinating discovery re-entered the spotlight last week when DiCaprio - an environmental campaigner - posted a colourful picture of the Pathala Eel Loach on Instagram and praised Mr Abraham.

"The wild is all around us and sometimes all it takes to discover a new species is going about a normal day," the actor said.

The discovery, DiCaprio wrote, showed "how citizen science" was the "key for researchers to study these unknown, underground ecosystems".