Birdsongichthys rectus and Robinsichthys nigrimarginatus are two new deepwater gobies from the Caribbean

Two new gobies have been collected and described from deep waters in the Caribbean Sea. New species Robinsichthys nigrimarginatus becomes only the second member of the genus Robinsichthys, while Birdsongichthys rectus is given both new genus and new species status. …

We Finally Got Our Hands on the Brazilian Flameback Angelfish

The Brazilian Flameback Angelfish, Centropyge aurantonotus, is one of the two species of pygmy angelfish in the Caribbean but the common ‘pygmy’ angelfish is infinitely more common in the aquarium hobby. This fish looks quite similar to the African flameback angelfish,…

Chromis vanbebberae: The White Tail Reef Fish Gets Elevated to Full Species

Chromis vanbebberae is a brand new species of damselfish that was described at the end of last year and finally puts a name to a fish we’ve long had on our radar. This curious smaller Chromis has been known for some…

Parazoanthus atlanticus is a new species of Yellow Polyp from the Dutch Caribbean

The biodiversity of the Dutch Caribbean has been studied for 250 years, but most records of Zoantharians don’t go much beyond the genus level or are grouped into generic catch-all species despite being common. A group of zoantharian specialists from Japan and the Netherlands has sought to change that by collecting and DNA testing new specimens as well as reexamining huge numbers of historic records and data of species collected and described from the area.

Teachers Register Your Class! Coral Live Broadcasting From CARMABI

Connect your classroom with Explorers Live CARMABI Research Station, Curaçao. Coral Live is an interactive classroom experience, bringing learning and science to life. Coral Live 2018 is the 3rd annual event immersing classrooms around the world in ocean science. Registration is…

New ocean zone added to coral “Twilight Zone”

Mesophotic, meet your new neighbor rariphotic. The deep sea Twilight Zone of coral reefs and some insanely beautiful fish has another zone names the rariphotic zone thanks to the Smithsonian Institute’s marine science team that has been studying these depths.…

Will the REAL Apricot Basslet Please Stand Up?

Plectranthias are one of the funnest and prettiest group of small and rare reef fish. Besides P. inermis, the majority of the other species are only found in deep water and it’s always a treat when we get to see…

Lipogramma schrieri & L. barrettorum, two new species of Caribbean basslets

Deepwater basslets are a source of constant fascination, and a virtual wellspring of unknown fish. The latest species to come from this broad group are Lipogramma schrieri and L. barrettorum from the southern Caribbean.  We tend to loosely classify any fish living…

Caribbean Coral Diares: Madracis carmabi

Madracis carmabi Madracis carmabi is a master of disguise. At first glance, you could be fooled into thinking this bulbous yellow coral is M. decactis or even the branching M. formosa, but take a closer look at the septal arrangement, and you might be surprised. Madracis carmabi is most likely a hybrid taking the ten septa arrangement…

Healthy Reefs Produce More Baby Corals

A recent study from Curaçao has shown that healthy coral populations can produce up to 200 times more juvenile corals than degraded coral populations. Researchers found that healthy corals had a higher percentage of successful parents which produced up to…