Tomiyamichthys eyreae is a brand new species of shrimp-goby again from the hot bed of biodiversity that is the Bird’s Head Peninsula of West Papua, Indonesia. This slender, ground dwelling gobiid is related to the recently described Tomiyamichthys emilyae which…
New Species
Cirrhilabrus briangreenei, an Old Aquarium Fish is a New Species of Fairy Wrasse
Cirrhilabrus briangreenei is a long overdue description for a fish that has been known in the marine aquarium hobby as the black spot pyle wrasse since at least 2008, see video below. The official description proposes the name Latigo fairy wrasse…
Heteroconger guttatus, a New Garden Eel Species from the Bird’s Head Peninsula
Heteroconger guttatus is a new species of garden eel just described from the Bird’s Head Peninsula region of West Papua. There are 35 species of garden eels belonging to two different genera, Heteroconger and Gorgasia with most occurring in the…
Roa haraguchiae, an Exciting New Species of Butterflyfish
Roa haraguchiae is the newest species of Chaetodontidae and adds a sixth member to the deepwater Roa genus of butterflyfish. The description of an official new species is usually very exciting but it’s an even more special occasion when it’s a butterflyfish. …
The Xenomorph Coral Could Only Have Been a Zoanthid
The Xenomorph coral is an amorphous new species of zoanthid that reminds some people of the face-hugging extra terrestrials from popular culture. Many types of corals are pretty alien looking already but this newly described species of zoanthid is really…
Plectranthias ryukyuensis, Japan’s Ninth New Species of Perchlet
Plectranthias ryukyuensis is a new species of our favorite group of basslets which as the name describes, come from the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan. The new Ryukyu basslet is closely related to the similar looking Plectranthias sagamiensis which is…
Top 6 New Species of Reef Corals in 2019
It’s no secret that corals are hard to identify, and that fish are much more appealing when it comes to new species description. New discoveries like the Corazon Damselfish and the Vibranium Fairy Wrasse grab headlines in popular culture in…
Top 10 New Species of Reef Fish of 2019
This past 2019 was a fruitful year of new saltwater and reef fish species, introducing fish lovers to a whole host of new species. More so than other years we were treated to a nice variety of new official descriptions…
Vanderhorstia dawnarnallae, Wicked New Species of Shrimp Goby Described
Vanderhorstia dawnarnallae is a beautiful and colorful new species of shrimp goby recently described in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. Discovered in the far eastern reaches of Indonesia also known as West Papua, Dawn’s Shrimp Goby is the…
Bunga, Laeta and Phenganax: Lots of Micro Octocorals Finally get Named
Bunga, Laeta & Phenganax are the new taxonomic homes for a wide variety of small, nondescript octocorals that often hitchhike into our aquariums on coral bases and live rocks. Phenganax is an existing genus which just inducted two new species…