Newly Discovered Fish Species of 2013
The ocean is a vast and exciting place, home to millions of different species. Because the ocean is so large, a significant portion of it is unexplored and new discoveries are being made all the time. For example, each year sees the discovery of new species of marine fish – some of which become popular in the aquarium hobby. It takes time for a new species to become available, however, so in the meantime you might want to learn a bit more about them. In this article you will find descriptions of some of the newly discovered marine fish species from 2013.
Most Colorful Species
When it comes to new species of aquarium fish, the species that exhibit unique or bright colorations often get the most attention. Some of the most colorful new species discovered this year include the Paracheilinus rennyae, the Oreo Chromis and the Sunrise Dwarf Goby. Paracheilinus rennyae is a species of flasher wrasse discovered near Flores Island in the Red Sea. This species exhibits a brilliant red and orange coloration with layers of bright blue, green and yellow on the tail. Perhaps the most interesting characteristic of this species is its lack of fin of filament extensions.
The Oreo Chromis, also referred to as the Chocolate-Dip Chromis, is known by the scientific name Chromis fieldi. This species is very similar in appearance to the black and white Chromis dimidiate – solid black near the head and white near the tail – but it has a more solid division between the two colors. Another difference is the fact that the Chromis dimidiate comes from the Indian Ocean while the Chromis fieldi is endemic to the Red Sea.
Many species of goby are known for their bright coloration and the Sunrise Dwarf Gobi (Eviota pamae) is no exception. This species is found in the waters of Indonesia, though it resembles a smaller version of the Sunrise Hogfish from Hawaii. The Sunrise Dwarf Goby has a broad red and yellow stripes running horizontally across the body, through the eye, to the tail. Due to its small size, if this species makes it into the aquarium hobby, it will likely be popular in nano reef tanks.
New Epaulette Shark
The newest species of epaulette shark to be described is the Hemiscyllium halmahera, discovered in north eastern Indonesia. This species is differentiated from other species by its coloration – brown body with clusters of 2-3 polygonal dark spots. It also has white spots between the clusters. This species may never be seen in the aquarium, but it may be significant in other ways. Writers at ReefBuilders.com suggest that if such as large, shallow water species can remain undiscovered for so long, what other species might yet be waiting to be discovered?
New Amazonian Species
Between the years 2010 and 2013, researchers found nearly 450 new species of animals and plants in a remote section of the Amazon rainforest. Among these species were 258 species of plants, 18 birds, 1 mammal and 84 fish. One of the most interesting species of fish is the Tometes camnunani – a type of piranha that can grow up to 20 inches long and is completely herbivorous.
Some of the other fish discovered in 2013 include:
· Anablepsoides urubuiensis
· Apistogramma paulmuelleri
· Characidium papachibe
· Cyanogaster noctivaga
· Hemiodus iratapuru
· Hypostomus delimai
· Lebiasina ardilai
· Leptophilypnion fittkaui
Undescribed Species
Perhaps the most exciting new species of aquarium fish from 2013 is Sunrise Anthias. Because it is as of yet undescribed, this species doesn’t have a latin name but it does belong to the genus Pseudanthias which contains over 60 different species. The Sunrise Anthias comes from New Caledonia and it is named for its bright orange coloration. These fish have opalescent, white bodies with broad reddish orange stripes running halfway down the body from the spine.
An undescribed species of saltwater fish comes from the waters around Australia. This species of anglerfish has been found near Sydney and Botany Bay, all the way to Jervis Bay, New South Wales. This fish has a compact and bumpy shape with dark grey coloration and porous, sponge-like skin. Several specimens of this anglerfish have been caught or observed, but recent attempts at finding and catching a specimen for study have been unsuccessful.
New species of fish are discovered each and every year. While not all of these new specimens become available for the aquarium trade, you can still appreciate them by learning a bit more about them. If any of these species do become available, you will be ahead of the game by already knowing their value and a little bit about them.