Two new species of octocoral have been discovered off the Pacific Coast of the United States and Canada. The new corals were discovered in a tide pool in San Diego and the other off the coast of British Columbia. Octocorals are named because each coral polyp has eight tentacles. The coral found in San Diego was Read More

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Pseudanthias oumati is a new species of Anthias which like yesterday’s Plectranthias flammeus was described in the same paper. The single female specimen of Pseudanthias oumati doesn’t divulge much about what makes it a distinct new species as we can expect the males to mature and display entirely different coloration. The name of Pseudanthias oumati Read More

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The South Pacific Ocean is a hotbed of new species right now with Plectranthias flammeus just the latest visually striking reef fish to be thoroughly described. Discovered living in the waters of the Marquesas Islands around French Polynesia, unlike many other newly described Plectranthias, P. flammeus occurs in the relatively shallow waters of 20-45 meters (65-150ft) deep. Read More

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The Coralline Clam is a new species of Tridacna giant clam has been found living in plain sight on the shallow reefs of the Solomon Islands. The very unusual clam species was discovered by Julian Sprung on some recent shallow diving when he noticed some abnormal movements of ‘coralline algae’. Upon closer inspection Mr. Sprung Read More

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Snappers aren’t very high on the aquarists’ list of must-have fish although many of them are truly attractive, including the two newly described species from the Indian Ocean. Lutjanus indicus and Lutjanus papuensis are two new species of snappers described by Allen, White & Erdmann (pdf link) in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. Lutjanus papuensis Read More

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Chromis fieldi is a newly described species of damselfish from the Indian Ocean which was recently identified and described as a separate species from Chromis dimidiata. The new description published in Aqua now recognizes Chromis dimidiata as a Red Sea endemic which displays a more distinct division between the black and white area of color Read More

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It wouldn’t be a proper week of reef aquarium blogging here on Reef Builders if we didn’t bring your attention to a new exotic species of Leptoseris, L. kalayaanensis. Described in 2009 from the Philippines and subsequently also observed growing in the South China Sea, Leptoseris kalayaanensis looks like no other species of stony coral. Except for Leptoseris Read More

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Craterastrea levis is not exactly a new coral, it was described in 1983 and it is known to exist in Egypt, Chagos and the Red Sea. Due to some superficial resemblance, Craterastrea was later synonymized with Leptoseris hawaiiensis and remained so until recently when coral taxonomists took another, closer look and decided to shake up the stony coral Read More

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Lotilia klausewitzi is the name of a new species of nano goby from the West Pacific Ocean that was just described and differentiated from Lotilia graciliosa which is now officially recognized as coming only from the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. In a way Lotilia klausewitzi is not a “new” species to us since the “Lotilia graciliosa” that we’ve previously Read More

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“Cirrhilabrus squirei” is a spanking new labrid to be added to the growing list of fairy wrasses species. Collected in the Coral Sea, this ultra gorgeous species pays homage to Cirrhilabrus johnsoni, as well as Cirrhilabrus cf. lanceolatus (The Pintail Fairy Wrasse).  ”Cirrhilabrus squirei” has not been officially described but the scientific name has been Read More

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