A scientific research mission has discovered one of the largest pristine coral reefs in the world, according to UNESCO. Situated in the middle of the Pacific, off Tahiti, the reef is two miles long and between 30 and 70 yards…
Reef Fish Will Risk It All For A Tasty Meal
Coral Reef Habitats Coral reefs are complex three-dimensional landscapes and coral reef fish experience this ‘landscape of fear’ based on how much shelter is available compared to the number of predators roaming the reef. A new study from the University of California,…
The Austral Islands could become the worlds largest marine reserve
A new marine reserve proposed for the Austral archipelago, could become the largest marine protected area in the world at a potential 1 million square kilometers (386,000 square miles). Elected representatives from five inhabited islands of French Polynesia’s Austral archipelago, Rimatara, Rurutu,…
Chaetodon smithi photographed in flawless clarity by Ian Skipworth
I think it’s safe to say that I love fish. I mean that’s all I ever post about here, but don’t get me wrong. I love every facet of this multidimensional hobby and this field just as much. I rarely talk about…
The Phoenix Effect gives us reason to be hopeful about wild corals
On any given day it is easy to come across news of how the ocean is in danger, coral reefs are dying, and the sky is generally falling in regards to the outlook for corals on this planet. That is…
Macropharyngodon pakoko adds to the list of endemic species in the Marquesas Islands
There’s a new leopard wrasse on the books and it’s called Macropharyngodon pakoko. The new leopard wrasse species was described from specimens collected in the Marquesas Islands, a region of the South Pacific Ocean which is well known for it’s localized…
Patagurus rex hermit crab prefers to forego the snail shell
Patagurus rex is a newly described hermit crab from French Polynesia which has forgotten how to equip itself with a shell. Collected at a depth of 400m (1312 feet) at Moorea of the Society Islands, the unusual P. rex didn’t read…
Pseudanthias oumati, another new Anthias from the Marquesas Islands
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…
Plectranthias flammeus is a new species from the South Pacific, French Polynesia
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…
Canthigaster criobe is a stunning new toby sharpnose puffer from French Polynesia
Canthigaster criobe is the new species of toby (or dwarf puffer) which has recently been described from the Gambier Archipelago, French Polynesia, in the heart of the South Pacific Ocean. There are well over 30 species of Canthigaster toby pufferfish, most of…
