New Species in the Wild

New bird species found in rainforests of Borneo

2010-01-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

A new species of bird has been spotted in the rainforests of Borneo.Leeds University biologist Richard Webster first glimpsed the bird from a canopy walkway 35m above ground.

The spectacled flowerpecker, a small, wren-sized, grey bird, was feeding on some flowering mistletoe in a tree. On one sighting it was heard singing. The bird has white markings around its eyes, belly and breast. It has not yet been given a scientific name because so little is known about it. Dr David Edwards, a tropical ecologist at the University of Leeds, identified the bird as a new species from photographs.

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Image credit: BBC/RE Webster
Source: BBC Science News

New 'strawberry' crab species found off Taiwan

2010-01-05T18:16:00.000-08:00

A marine biologist says he has discovered a new crab species off the coast of southern Taiwan that looks like a strawberry with small white bumps on its red shell.

National Taiwan Ocean University professor Ho Ping-ho says the crab resembles the species living in the areas around Hawaii, Polynesia and Mauritius. But it has a distinctive clam-shaped shell about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide, making it distinct.

Taiwanese crab specialist Wang Chia-hsiang confirmed Ho's finding.

Ho said Tuesday his team found two female crabs of the new species last June off the coast of Kenting National Park, known for its rich marine life. The crabs died shortly thereafter, possibly because the water in the area was polluted by a cargo ship that ran aground.

Source: Yahoo! News/AP
Image credit: AP Photo/National Taiwan Ocean University

Photos of Strange Deep Sea Creatures from Marine Census Beyond Sunlight

2009-11-24T00:14:00.000-08:00

Simply astonishing. The diversity of species that live beyond any hint of sunlight has astounded the team of international scientists as they near the end of a ten year deep sea census of marine life. The team has finally released a treasure trove of new photos and video from the deep sea census that will awe and amaze. Above, scientists appear to be examining -- or maybe cuddling and petting -- one of the largest and cutest of the deep sea species: a dumbo octopod, named for the oversized, dumbo-like ears it uses for swimming (photo overleaf). Our pick of the best of the photos, released today, of some 17,650 species now known to thrive in the watery depths follows.

The dumbo octopod, among the largest deep sea creatures at lengths up to five feet, hovers cutely before the camera, flapping ears like a cartoon elephant. Courtesy of David Shale

An odd sea cucumber found at 2,750 m deep in the Northern Gulf of Mexico swims slowly up the length of its own tentacles. Moving at only 2cm per minute, the translucent creature sucks up a meal of detritus-rich sediments collected on the tentacles. Courtesy of Larry Madin, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

A golden copepod looks like a coin from a lost treasure until the camera gets up close to see magnified detail of this insect-like marine crustacean. Fully 99 percent of some 680 copepod specimens collected in the deep sea census were new to science. Courtesy of © Bünzow/Corgosinho

This is the first photograph ever made of a Neocyema on the mid-Atlantic ridge, and only the 5th specimen ever caught of the bizarre, elongated orange fish. Courtesy of David Shale

Source: Treehugger.com

Teensy Chameleon Is New Species

2009-11-23T18:26:00.000-08:00

A tiny chameleon species with a scaly horn atop its snout and blue dots on its limbs has been discovered in Tanzanian forests. "It would sit quite easily on one finger," said Andrew Marshall of the University of York, adding the chameleon's body spans just 2.8 inches (about 72 mm) with a tail of nearly equal length.

Marshall first spotted the animal, now called Kinyongia magomberae, while surveying monkeys in the Magombera forest. He disturbed a twig snake that had been eating one of the chameleons. Once startled, the snake dropped its already dead prey. So far, four specimens of the species have been observed in Tanzania's Magombera forest, which is unprotected, and the Mwanihana forest within the Udzungwa Mountains National Park.

Full story...

Source: Yahoo! News
Image credit: Andrew Marshall/Livescience.com

Giant Lungless "Worm" Found Living on Land

2009-11-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

A new amphibian species can survive on land with no nostrils, lungs, or legs, say researchers who discovered the bizarre beast. The creature, found in Guyana, is part of the wormlike group of amphibians known as caecilians. Only one other caecilian species is known to live without lungs. In general, the presence of lungs is among the key characteristics that make amphibians different from fish.

Until recently, scientists thought salamanders were the only amphibians that lack lungs. But in 1995 researchers found the first known lungless caecilian, and in 2008 another team reported a tiny, land-dwelling, lungless frog.

The new species is even more of a surprise, because the animal-named Caecilita iwokramae-is strikingly different from the other known lungless caecilian, the study authors note.

Caecilita lives on land and is just 4.4 inches (11 centimeters) long, while its lungless relative is fully aquatic and reaches 27.5 inches (70 centimeters) in length.

Full story...

Source: National Geographic
Image credit: Marvalee Wake, University of California, Berkeley

Japanese researchers film rare baby fish 'fossil'

2009-11-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Japanese marine researchers said on Tuesday they had found and successfully filmed a young coelacanth a rare type of fish known as "a living fossil" in deep water off Indonesia. The creature was found on October 6 at a depth of 161 metres (528 feet) in Manado Bay off Sulawesi Island, where the Indonesian coelacanth was first discovered, according to the researchers. Video footage showed the 31.5 centimetre (12.6-inch) coelacanth, coloured blue with white spots, swimming slowly among rocks on the seabed for about 20 minutes.

Video Footage

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Source: Yahoo! Science News
Image credit: AFP/AQUAMARINE FUKUSHIMA

Coral feeding jellyfish documented

2009-11-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

More than a mouthful for most coral

A coral is recorded eating a jellyfish for the first time, in intriguing photographs taken by scientists. Coral usually feed on tiny plankton as well as products provided by photosynthetic algae.

Yet the photos reveal a stationary mushroom coral sucking in a large moon jellyfish. Researchers believe the ability to feed on a variety of food sources like jellyfish may give the coral an advantage in a changing world. The researchers publish their findings in the journal Coral Reefs.

Full story...

Source: BBC Science News
Image credit: Omri Bornstein/BBC

Deep-sea fish captured on camera

2009-11-13T18:51:00.000-08:00

These fish were photographed at a depth of 7,560m

The deepest living fish ever spotted in the southern hemisphere have been caught on camera. The bizarre-looking pink creatures were photographed at a depth of 7,560m (24,800ft), swimming in the Kermadec Trench off the coast of New Zealand.

An international team has been studying this area using a submersible, built to withstand immense pressures. Last year, the same team recorded another fish at 7,700m (25,300ft) - the deepest ever filmed. These were found in the Japan Trench, which is in the Pacific, north of the equator. Both expeditions form part of the Hadeep project, which aims to expand our knowledge of life in the oceanic trenches, the deepest parts of the ocean floor.

Full story...

Source: BBC Science News
Image credit: The Hadeep/BBC

8 new moth species found

2009-11-07T00:11:00.000-08:00

Researchers from the University of Hawaii have discovered eight new species of Hyposmocoma moths on three islands in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said yesterday.The researchers, Patrick Schmitz and Daniel Rubinoff, believe the newly discovered species may be descendants of species that colonized the Hawaiian archipelago more than 5 million years ago, before Kauai emerged, a USFWS news release said.

"The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are remnants of islands that once rose to 3,000 feet or more in elevation and supported drastically different and more diverse terrestrial plants and animals than are found on the mostly low-lying atolls today," the release said.

"We are continuing our research now, but it is possible that the ancient ancestor of the now uniquely Hawaiian Hyposmocoma moths may have landed on a young Northwestern Hawaiian Island and evolved over millions of years into several lineages, which hopped down the island chain, spawning a diversity of species," Rubinoff said.

Hyposmocoma moths are found only in the Hawaiian Islands and include more than 315 different species.

The moths identified in this study were reared from larvae collected on Laysan Island, Mokumanamana and Nihoa in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

Source: Honoluluadvertiser.com
Image credit:

'Giant' orb web spider discovered

2009-10-21T01:33:00.000-07:00

Male Nephila spiders look tiny in comparison to "giant" females

A new and rare species of "giant" orb web spider has been discovered in Africa and Madagascar. In the journal Plos One, researchers describe Nephila komaci as the largest web spinning spider known to science. Only the females of this groups of species are giants, with a leg span of up to 12cm (4.7in); the male spiders are tiny by comparison. Scientists say the female spiders are capable of spinning webs that reach up to 1m (3ft 3in) in diameter.

Orb-weaving spiders are a widespread group which take their name from the round webs they typically spin. The new spider was identified by Matjaz Kuntner, a biologist from the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and his colleague Jonathan Coddington, from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC.

Full story...

News Source: BBC Science
Image credit: Matjaz Kuntner/BBC

850 New Species Discovered Underground

2009-09-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

Australian researchers have discovered a huge number of new species of invertebrate animals living in underground water, caves and "micro-caverns" amid the harsh conditions of the Australian outback.

A national team of 18 researchers has discovered 850 new species of invertebrates, which include various insects, small crustaceans, spiders, worms and many others.

The team - led by Professor Andy Austin (University of Adelaide), Dr Steve Cooper (South Australian Museum) and Dr Bill Humphreys (Western Australian Museum) - has conducted a comprehensive four-year survey of underground water, caves and micro-caverns across arid and semi-arid Australia.

Full story...
Source: Physorg.com

New species discovered in the Greater Mekong at risk of extinction due to climate change

2009-09-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

[ From WWF News Release ]

A bird eating fanged frog, a gecko that looks like it's from another planet and a bird which would rather walk than fly, are among the 163 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year that are now at risk of extinction due to climate change, says a new report launched by WWF ahead of UN climate talks in Bangkok.

During 2008 alone, scientists identified these rare and unique species within the jungles and rivers of the Greater Mekong, including a bird eating fanged frog that lies in streams waiting for prey, one of only four new species of musk shrew to be described in recent times, and a leopard gecko whose "other world" appearance - orange eyes, spindly limbs and technicolour skin - inspired the report's title Close Encounters.

Such is the immense biodiversity of this region that some discoveries such as the tiger-striped pitviper were made by accident.

"We were engrossed in trying to catch a new species of gecko when my son pointed out that my hand was on a rock mere inches away from the head of a pitviper! We caught the snake and the gecko and they both proved to be new species," said Dr Lee Grismer of La Sierra University in California.

Close Encounters spotlights species newly identified by science including 100 plants, 28 fish, 18 reptiles, 14 amphibians, 2 mammals and a bird, all discovered in 2008 within the Greater Mekong region of Southeast Asia that spans Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the south-western Chinese province of Yunnan.

The reluctant flyer, Nonggang babbler, was observed walking longer distances than flying. It would only use its wings when frightened.

"After millennia in hiding these species are now finally in the spotlight, and there are clearly more waiting to be discovered," said Stuart Chapman, Director of the WWF Greater Mekong Programme.

But no sooner are these new species discovered than their survival is threatened by the devastating impacts of climate change, the report warns.

Recent studies show the climate of the Greater Mekong region is already changing. Models suggest continued warming, increased variability and more frequent and damaging extreme climate events.

Rising seas and saltwater intrusion will cause major coastal impacts especially in the Mekong River delta, which is one of the three most vulnerable deltas on Earth, according to the most recent International Panel on Climate Change report.

"Some species will be able to adapt to climate change, many will not, potentially resulting in massive extinctions," said Chapman.

"Rare, endangered and endemic species like those newly discovered are especially vulnerable because climate change will further shrink their already restricted habitats," he said.

Often these newly discovered species are highly dependent on a limited number of species for their survival. If they respond to climate change in a way that disrupts this closely evolved relationship it puts them at greater risk of extinction.

Over the next two weeks, government delegates will meet in Bangkok, Thailand, for the next round of UN climate change talks in the lead up to the Copenhagen Climate Summit this December, where the world is scheduled to agree on a new global climate treaty.

"The treasures of nature are in trouble if governments fail to agree a fair, ambitious and binding treaty that will prevent runaway climate change," said Kathrin Gutmann, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the WWF Global Climate Initiative.

"Protecting endangered species and vulnerable communities in the Greater Mekong and elsewhere around the world depends on fast progress at the UN talks in Bangkok - a hugely important conference that can lay the groundwork for success at the Copenhagen Climate Summit this December."

Original story: WWF News Release
Download:Greater Mekong new species report 5.18 MB pdf 5.18 MB pdf

Text & Pictures courtesy of WWF

Scientists discover bizarre new fish off Brazil's Bahia coast

2009-09-22T01:16:00.000-07:00

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown species off Brazil’s Bahia coast, which is more than six feet long, has small teeth, and has no scales covering its gelatinous body. According to a report in National Geographic News, the fish that has a long tail, was found floating in the sea by researchers from the TAMAR Project, a sea turtle conservation project.

TAMAR project coordinator Guy Marcovaldi captured the first images of the fish, which was dead and lying near the surface of the water. His special underwater camera is normally used for tracking and filming sea turtles.

"At first, I got really scared when I saw this huge thing in the water. But then, I decided to jump in the water and film it," said Marcovaldi.

Specialists observing the fish told Brazils TV Globo that the animal weighs about 88 pounds (40 kilos). It has small teeth and no scales. Due to its large body fat content and gelatinous consistency, researchers do not believe it would be edible.

According to Claudio Sampaio, Oceanographer, Federal University of Bahia, "It is a rare gem to find a species like this, which is completely new, scientifically speaking. There is no human record of this fish."

The fish will be preserved in formaldehyde and maintained in the zoology department of the Federal University of Bahia, where experts hope to discover more about the fish, including its origins. There are over 200,000 known species of sea plants and animals in the world, but scientists believe there may be more than a million others that are still unknown.

See video of the discovery here
Source: Breaking News 24/7

New Worm Species Discovered on Dead Whales

2009-09-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

Nine previously unknown species of worms were found hiding out on whale cadavers deep in the ocean, where the worms were feasting on bone-munching bacteria.

The new species are bristleworms, or polychaetes, which have segmented bodies, and are among the most common marine organisms. The worms find refuge at ocean depths, near the sea surface and even in burrows in beach sand.

Full story...
Image credit: Helena Wiklund.

New species of Giant Rat & Fanged Frog discovered in Papua New Guinea

2009-09-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

A lost world populated by fanged frogs, grunting fish and tiny bear-like creatures has been discovered in a remote volcanic crater on the Pacific island of Papua New Guinea.

A team of scientists from Britain, the United States and Papua New Guinea found more than 40 previously unidentified species when they climbed into the kilometre-deep crater of Mount Bosavi and explored a pristine jungle habitat teeming with life that has evolved in isolation since the volcano last erupted 200,000 years ago. In a remarkably rich haul from just five weeks of exploration, the biologists discovered 16 frogs which have never before been recorded by science, at least three new fish, a new bat and a giant rat, which may turn out to be the biggest in the world.

The discoveries are being seen as fresh evidence of the richness of the world's rainforests and the explorers hope their finds will add weight to calls for international action to prevent the demise of similar ecosystems. They said Papua New Guinea's rainforest is currently being destroyed at the rate of 3.5% a year.

"It was mind-blowing to be there and it is clearly time we pulled our finger out and decided these habitats are worth us saving," said Dr George McGavin who headed the expedition.

The team of biologists included experts from Oxford University, the London Zoo and the Smithsonian Institution and are believed to be the first scientists to enter the mountainous Bosavi crater. They were joined by members of the BBC Natural History Unit which filmed the expedition for a three-part documentary which starts tomorrow night.

They found the three-kilometre wide crater populated by spectacular birds of paradise and in the absence of big cats and monkeys, which are found in the remote jungles of the Amazon and Sumatra, the main predators are giant monitor lizards while kangaroos have evolved to live in trees. New species include a camouflaged gecko, a fanged frog and a fish called the Henamo grunter, named because it makes grunting noises from its swim bladder.

"These discoveries are really significant," said Steve Backshall, a climber and naturalist who became so friendly with the never-before seen Bosavi silky cuscus, a marsupial that lives up trees and feeds on fruits and leaves, that it sat on his shoulder.

"The world is getting an awful lot smaller and it is getting very hard to find places that are so far off the beaten track."

More species discovered in Lost Land of Volcano

News Source: Guardian.co.uk
Image credit: Jonny Keeling/BBC

Strange jellies of the icy depths

2009-09-01T22:28:00.000-07:00

Crossota millsae, a brilliant red and purple jellyfish found at a depth of 2000m in the Arctic Ocean, is also found off California and Hawaii.

New details are emerging about the life-forms that survive in one of the world's most inaccessible places.Scientists have published descriptions of a range of jelly-like animals that inhabit the deep oceans of the Arctic.The animals were originally filmed and photographed during a series of submersible dives in 2005.

One of the biggest surprises is that one of the most common animals in the Arctic deep sea is a type of jellyfish that is completely new to science.The deep Arctic ocean is isolated from much of the water elsewhere on the globe. One area, known as the Canadian Basin, is particularly cut off by deep-sea ridges. These huge barriers can isolate any species there from other deep-water animals.

So in 2005, an international team of scientists, funded primarily by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, conducted a series of deep-sea dives using a remote operated vehicle (ROV).

Details of what they found have now been published in the journal Deep Sea Research Part II.

Other findings:

The small blue jelly, a type of Narcomedusae, is new to science.

The large bright orange Aulacoctena species may get its colour from worms that it eats

Full story...

Image credit: Kevin Raskoff
News source: BBC News

New Species Of Crustacean Discovered Near Canary Islands

2009-08-26T00:14:00.000-07:00

During a cave diving expedition to explore the Tunnel de la Atlantida, the world's longest submarine lava tube on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, a team of scientists and cave divers have discovered a previously unknown species of crustacean, belonging to the remipede genus Speleonectes. They gracefully swim through the complete darkness of submarine caves, constantly on the lookout for prey. Instead of eyes, predatory crustaceans of the class Remipedia rely on long antennae which search the lightless void in all directions. Like some type of science fiction monster, their head is equipped with powerful prehensile limbs and poisonous fangs.

Full story...
Image credit: Springer
News source: Sciencedaily.com

Glowing 'bomber worms' discovered

2009-08-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

The worms represent a new group of species

A group of glowing worms has been found dwelling in the deep ocean, some of which release body parts as tiny "bombs" to ward off predators. Researchers describe the bizarre "Swima worms" in Science journal. The creatures, which the scientists say could be widespread in the deep sea, indicate the extent of biodiversity yet to be discovered in the oceans. The team found them whilst exploring the waters just above the sea-bed off the west coast of the US. Lead author Karen Osborn, from the University of California San Diego, told BBC News that she and her colleagues found the worms accidentally, whilst exploring the deep oceans with remotely operated submersible vehicles.

Full story...
Image credit: K Osborn
News source: BBC Science

Bald songbird discovered in Laos

2009-07-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Scientists have discovered a striking new species of bald songbird in a limestone region of South East Asia.Its inhospitable habitat, far from any human activity or settlement, may explain why this unusual creature has evaded researchers until now.

The bald-headed bird was spotted by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the University of Melbourne.This is the first new bulbul to have been discovered in 100 years. The newly discovered bulbul is also the first bald songbird to be spotted in mainland Asia.

Source: BBC Science

New Salamander Discovered Near Georgia Busy Road

2009-07-09T20:37:00.001-07:00

A newly discovered salamander, which is the second-smallest salamander species in the U.S. and one of the smallest in the world at just two inches long, could change what scientists know about some amphibians, the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources said today.

The new salamander is so distinct that it belongs in its own genus (a grouping of related species), according to Carlos Camp, Piedmont College professor who first recognized it as a news species. "It represents the first new genus of four-footed creature discovered in the United States in 50 years."

Full Story...
Photo of new salamander courtesy UGA

New Monkey Discovered In Brazil

2009-07-07T20:44:00.001-07:00

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced on July 7 the discovery of a new monkey in a remote region of the Amazon in Brazil.

The monkey is related to saddleback tamarins, which include several species of monkeys known for their distinctively marked backs. The newly described distinct subspecies was first seen by scientists on a 2007 expedition into the state of Amazonas in northwestern Brazil.

Researchers have dubbed the monkey Mura's saddleback tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis mura) named after the Mura Indians, the ethnic group of Amerindians of the Purus and Madeira river basins where the monkey occurs. Historically this tribe was spread through the largest territory of any of the Amazonian Indigenous peoples, extending from the Peruvian frontier today (Rio Yavari) east to the Rio Trombetas.

The monkey is mostly gray and dark brown in color, with a distinctly mottled "saddle." It weighs 213 grams (less than ¾ of a pound) and is 240 millimeters (9 inches tall) with a 320 millimeter (12.6 inch) tail.

The discovery was published in the June online edition of the International Journal of Primatology. Authors of the study include Fabio Röhe of the Wildlife Conservation Society, José de Sousa e Silva Jr. of Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Ricardo Sampaio of the Instituto Nacional de Parquisas de Amaozônia, and Anthony B. Rylands of Conservation International.

Full Story...
Image credit: Stephen Nash

South America's wildlife wonders

2009-06-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

An expedition to an often troubled region of the Peru-Equador border has discovered 12 species thought to be new to science.

Dendrobates poison frog

The short-winged ringfoot katydid

Lizard from Enyalioides genus

Typophyllum Katydid

Unknown type of salamander

Source: BBC Science section

'Dracula' fish shows baby teeth

2009-03-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

Scientists have discovered a highly unusual fish with fangs made of bone.

Dubbed the "Dracula" fish, the creature is about 17mm (0.7 inches) long and has been found in only one Burmese stream.

The researchers, from London's Natural History Museum (NHM), believe the fish lost its teeth over evolutionary time, but later evolved the bone fangs.

Writing in the Royal Society's journal Proceedings B, they say the males use the fangs to jostle each other - but do not appear to draw blood.

"When you watch them in captivity you can see the males sparring," said NHM's Ralf Britz.

"They display with their lower jaws open incredibly widely, then they nudge each other; but we don't see any wounds."

Dr Britz, who has worked with Burmese wildlife for more than a decade, named the species Danionella dracula in honour of mythology's most eminent fanged predator.

News Source: BBC Science News

New species of bamboo coral identified off Hawaii

2009-03-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

Scientists have identified seven new species of bamboo coral discovered thousands of feet below the ocean's surface, officials said Thursday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the six of the seven species found off Hawaii may represent entirely new genera, calling it a "remarkable feat" given the broad classification a genus represents.

A genus is a major category in the classification of organisms, ranking above a species and below a family.

University of Hawaii scientist Christopher Kelley, one of two scientists who found the coral, said the "potential for more discoveries is high."

Scientists expect to identify more new species as analysis of samples continues.

Richard Spinrad, NOAA's assistant administrator for oceanic and atmospheric research, said the discoveries are important because deep-sea corals support diverse sea floor ecosystems and their growth rings, like ones from trees, can provide views of how deep-ocean conditions change.

He said the corals "may be among the first marine organisms to be affected by ocean acidification," which is a change in ocean chemistry due to excess carbon dioxide.

The coral was discovered among the islands of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument using a submersible research vessel in 2007. The three-week research mission was to locate and predict locations of high density deep-sea coral beds in the national monument.

The same mission also found a large coral graveyard. Scientists estimate the death occurred several thousand years to potentially more than 1 million years ago. The species of coral had never been recorded in Hawaii before.

Scientists do not know why the coral died.

Papahanaumokuakea, nearly 100 times larger than Yosemite National Park, was created by President George W. Bush in 2006. It is in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which stretch 1,000 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands.

News Source: Yahoo News!

Indonesia's psychedelic fish named a new species

2009-02-26T17:48:00.001-08:00

A funky, psychedelic fish that bounces on the ocean floor like a rubber ball has been classified as a new species, a scientific journal reported. The frogfish — which has a swirl of tan and peach zebra stripes that extend from its aqua eyes to its tail — was initially discovered by scuba diving instructors working for a tour operator a year ago in shallow waters off Ambon island in eastern Indonesia.

The operator contacted Ted Pietsch, lead author of a paper published in this month's edition of Copeia, the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, who submitted DNA work identifying it as a new species.

The fish — which the University of Washington professor has named "psychedelica" — is a member of the antennariid genus, Histiophryne, and like other frogfish, has fins on both sides of its body that have evolved to be leg-like.

But it has several behavioral traits not previously known to the others, Pietsch wrote.

Each time the fish strike the seabed, for instance, they push off with their fins and expel water from tiny gill openings to jet themselves forward. That, and an off-centered tail, causes them to bounce around in a bizarre, chaotic manner.

Mark Erdman, a senior adviser to the Conservation International's marine program, said Thursday it was an exciting discovery.

"I think people thought frogfishes were relatively well known and to get a new one like this is really quiet spectacular. ... It's a stunning animal," he said, adding that the fish's stripes were probably intended to mimic coral.

"It also speaks to the tremendous diversity in this region and to fact that there are still a lot of unknowns here — in Indonesia and in the Coral Triangle in general."

The fish, which has a gelatinous fist-sized body covered with thick folds of skin that protect it from sharp-edged corals, also has a flat face with eyes directed forward, like humans, and a huge, yawning mouth.

Source: Yahoo News