Atelomycterus erdmanni is a new species of catshark from Indonesia with a very attractive jaguar pattern and a typical slender catshark body shape. The new species is names after Mark Erdmann, a prolific diver, underwater explorer and ichthyologist who has…
Ruby seadragon, Phyllopteryx dewysea, discovered in south Australia
Phyllopteryx dewysea is a new species of seadragon from the southern coast of Western Australia with a brilliant red color giving it the name of Ruby Seadragon. There are only two other species of seadragon, the leafy seadragon, Phycodorus eques,…
Sclerophyllia margariticola is a new species of ‘Mini Scoly’ from the Red Sea
Sclerophyllia margariticola is a new species of small, solitary LPS coral from the Red Sea recently described in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity. The genus Sclerophyllia was first erected in 1879 and it was resurrected to include this new species as well…
Underwater crop circle-building pufferfish officially described as Torquigener albomaculosus
Pufferfish seem to make headlines for all kinds of interesting behaviors from chasing lasers, apparently mourning the loss of a friend, and especially for helping dolphins to get high. But no pufferfish behavior garnered more attention than the elaborate “underwater…
Chelidoperca santosi, a new deepwater fish species from Palawan, Philippines
Chelidoperca is a genus of deepwater basslets which are completely unknown in the aquarium world, which is a shame because these fish are fairly colorful with interesting color patterns. Chelidoperca santosi is the latest species to be described from this…
The Coral Sea Pseudanthias cf. aurulentus looks even more amazing in a reef
A few days ago we wrote about a potentially new Pseudanthias species from Cairns Marine that has been coming out of the Coral Sea. This remarkable fish has been dubbed temporarily as Pseudanthias cf. aurulentus and is a member of the…
Pseudanthias cf. aurulentus from the Coral Sea may turn out to be a new species
The genus Pseudanthias is growing at a rate of at least one new member per year as the reefs of the Pacific continue to drip feed us with brand new, never before seen species. In 2013 we saw the appearance of the…
Pterois paucispinula: Mombasa lionfish is split into two species
Lionfish get a bad rap these days for a single species that is an unwelcome visitor to Caribbean reefs. But the Mombasa lionfish is now represented by two species that know where they belong geographically. Pterois paucispinula is the new species…
Top 10 new coral and giant clam species of 2014
The discoveries of new fish species were really impressive this year and the coral and giant clam taxonomists also had their hands full in 2014. Across the board we are still seeing a nice steady flow of new soft and…
Great Guns of Brixton! New snail named after the Clash’s iconic Joe Strummer
A deep sea snail with purple blood, spiked shell and living near hydrothermal vents are so reminiscent of the punk rock movement of the 1970s and 80s, the team that discovered a new species named it after Joe Strummer, the…
