Scientists have discovered a new species of furry fish in the Great Barrier Reef
Marine biologists have described a new species of fish from the waters of the Great Barrier Reef — a furry ghost fish with a long snout and a bright orange color. The animal remained unnoticed for years: it was mistaken for an already known related species. This was reported on May 14 by the news portal Phys.org .
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral ecosystem, stretching along the northeast coast of Australia for more than 2,000 km. Despite decades of intensive research, the reef continues to present taxonomic surprises. Ghost fish (genus Solenostomus) have several well-known species, all of which are distinguished by their exceptional ability to mimic.
The new species was named Solenostomus snuffleupagus, in honor of the Sesame Street character Mr. Snuffleupagus: both are characterized by their characteristic shagginess. Ghost fish, close relatives of seahorses and sea dragons, are known for their exceptional ability to disguise themselves: their coloration and skin growths resembling algae or coral allow them to blend in with their surroundings. It is because of this that it can be difficult for specialists to distinguish between species.
The new fish has long been mistaken for a speckled ghostfish (Solenostomus paegnius): both species have a similar "shaggy" appearance, and divers and underwater photographers have been uploading pictures of the new species to social networks and the iNaturalist platform for years, unaware of their discovery.
"Noticeable shagginess created by numerous elongated outgrowths is consistently observed in individuals throughout the known range of the species," said the authors of the study, marine biologist David Harasti and his colleague Graham Short.
To confirm the status of the new species, the researchers analyzed the mitochondrial DNA of two individuals caught in the Coral Sea and compared it with the data of the speckled ghostfish. The genetic difference was 22%, which is a significant argument in favor of the independence of the species. At the same time, scientists have created three-dimensional skeletal models based on high-resolution micro-CT scans.
It turned out that the new species has more vertebrae — 36 versus 32-34 in relatives — and unique stellate bone structures were found in the skin. Traditional measurements of body and fin proportions have confirmed that Solenostomus snuffleupagus is more squat and compact than known species.
On March 15, Popular Science magazine reported the discovery of rare blue whales in the waters south of Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. Marine biologists spotted the first Balaenoptera musculus whale on February 27, and for the second time two mammals were spotted 24 km south of Martha's Vineyard.
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