(Photo/ ZooKeys) A species of fish found in the waters of Maldives and Sri Lanka has been named 'Finifenmaa'- the Dhivehi word for rose. Scientists first suspected the pair were two separate species after comparing footage of adult wrasses from the Maldives with wrasses from Chagos. Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa (Teleostei, Labridae), a new species of fairy wrasse from the Maldives, with comments on the taxonomic identity of C. rubrisquamis and C. wakanda. Until early this year, the mesophotic zone of the Maldives reefs, lying some 30-150 meters (100-500 feet) below the oceans surface, hadnt been explored by scientists. Cirrhilabrus, the fairy wrasses, is a genus of fish in the family Labridae native to coral reefs and nearby habitats in the Indo-Pacific region. Researchers also found at least eight potentially new-to-science species yet to be described. CodeInst. Your feedback is important to us. [T]he video footage of rubrisquamis from Chagos has some coloration patterns that look different from wakanda, but again, this is all quite tenuous without any proper material to look at, Mr Tea pointed out in email. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. It has always been foreign scientists who have described species found in the Maldives without much involvement from local scientists, even those that are endemic to the Maldives, says study co-author and Maldives Marine Research Institute biologist Ahmed Najeeb. Our research is stronger when its done in collaboration with local researchers and divers.. Importantly, this revelation greatly reduces the known range of each wrasse, a crucial consideration when setting conservation priorities. "It speaks to how much biodiversity there is still left to be described from coral reef ecosystems.". Materials provided by California Academy of Sciences. Globally, coral reefs are some of the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on Earth. Is the Hobby Less Fun Than It Used to Be? It teems with fascinating species that sometimes seems to border on the absurd, from fish that look up through transparent heads to golden snails with iron armour. First collected by researchers in the 1990s, C. finifenmaa was originally thought to be the adult version of a different species, Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, which had been described based on a single juvenile specimen from the Chagos Archipelago, an island chain 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) south of the Maldives. The new-to-science Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa), described today in the journal ZooKeys, is also one of the first species to have its name derived from the local Dhivehi language, 'finifenmaa' meaning 'rose', a nod to both its pink hues and the island nation's national flower. Explaining the Phenomenon of Fish Hybridization on the Reef, "Supergiant" Isopod Emerges from Deep Seas off Java. and Terms of Use. "This time it is different and getting to be part of something for the first time has been really exciting, especially having the opportunity to work alongside top ichthyologists on such an elegant and beautiful species.". [T]his habitat that we are studying (mesophotic coral ecosystems from 50 to 150m depth) is virtually unknown, thats why we find so many new species on them, Dr Rocha explained in email. Have any problems using the site? by Scientists Say Mysterious Illness Caused by Impaired Mitochondria, Are We Alone? The rose-veiled fairy wrasse was discovered in the Maldives and named by scientists in 2022. . Email address is optional. "Our research is stronger when it's done in collaboration with local researchers and divers. C. finifenmaa was first collected by researchers in the 1990s. Though the species is quite abundant and therefore not currently at a high risk of overexploitation, its still unsettling when a fish is already being commercialized before it even has a scientific name, Rocha said. The new-to-science Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa), described in the journal ZooKeys, is also one of the first species to have its name derived from the local Dhivehi language, 'finifenmaa' meaning 'rose', a nod to both its pink hues and the island nation's national flower.
. The ocean is one of the worlds last truly wild spaces. An international team of scientists discovered a new species of mesophotic coral reef-dwelling fish in the Indian Ocean, Copyright by GrrlScientist | @GrrlScientist | hosted by Forbes. We should love and protect it as we would a priceless work of art., Yi-Kai Tea, Ahmed Najeeb, Joseph Rowlett, and Luiz A. Rocha (2022). C. finifenmaa was first collected by researchers in the 1990s. What we previously thought was one widespread species of fish is actually two different species, each with a potentially much more restricted distribution, Mr Tea said. Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa (Teleostei, Labridae), a new species of fairy wrasse from the Maldives, with comments on the taxonomic identity of C. rubrisquamis and C. wakanda. Named after the countrys national flower, the new-to-science Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse is the first fish species to be formally described by a Maldivian researcher. This Indian Ocean species is very common and you may already have this fish. These data, along with genetic analyses, were then compared to the C. rubrisquamis specimen to confirm that C. finifenmaa is indeed a unique species. Though the species is quite abundant and therefore not currently at a high risk of overexploitation, its still unsettling when a fish is already being commercialized before it even has a scientific name, says senior author and Academy Curator of Ichthyology Luiz Rocha, PhD, who co-directs the Hope for Reefs initiative. Editors This time it is different, Mr Najeeb continued, and getting to be part of something [like this] for the first time has been really exciting, especially having the opportunity to work alongside top ichthyologists on such an elegant and beautiful species.. Credit: Yi-Kai Tea, The species name 'finifenmaa' means 'rose' in the local Dhivehi language, a nod to both its pink hues and the Maldives' national flower. (Ref. Labridae. 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So do ants, Eliminating public health scourge schistosomiasis can also benefit agriculture, In a sea of fish diversity, scientist finds six new species of cichlids, Researchers engineer nanostructures to enhance the immune system's ability to combat cancer, Researchers' sweeping discovery shows how kidney cells self-renew, Meteorologists say Earth sizzled to a global heat record in June and July has been getting hotter, Astronomers identify the coldest star yet that emits radio waves, Toward crack-resistant nanoparticle-based latex films, James Webb Space Telescope finds possible evidence of dark stars, Researchers establish criterion for nonlocal quantum behavior in networks, New research on phage X174 sheds light on escape mechanism, Research team makes significant strides in explaining the stellar evolution of massive binary stars, Deep sea mining plans could interfere with fish populations forced to move due to climate change, First nanoscale direct observation of how glass transforms into liquid at increasing temperature. Forests in the furnace: Cambodias garment sector is fueled by illegal logging, Poverty-fueled deforestation of Nigerian reserve slashes hope for rare chimps, Calls grow to put the brakes on deep-sea mining as countries discuss rules, How to flip a paper park: Success in the North Sea carries lessons. Tea Y-K, Najeeb A, Rowlett J, Rocha LA (2022) Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa(Teleostei, Labridae), a new species of fairy wrasse from the Maldives, with comments on the taxonomic identity ofC. rubrisquamisandC. wakanda. Genus: Cirrhilabrus. At the moment, this species is still known only from the single juvenile collected in Chagos, and from still photos taken from the video footage captured in Chagos by Plymouth.. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. "It speaks to how much biodiversity there is still left to be described from coral reef ecosystems." Though the species is quite abundant and therefore not currently at a high risk of overexploitation, its still unsettling when a fish is already being commercialized before it even has a scientific name, says senior author and Academy Curator of Ichthyology Luiz Rocha, PhD, who co-directs theHope for Reefsinitiative. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. 65-80 ISSN: 1313-2970 Subject: Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Inst. The more we understand and the more compelling scientific evidence we can gather, the better we can protect them," says study author Ahmed Najeeb, a biologist at the Maldives Marine Research Institute, in a statement. California Academy of Sciences. Nobody knows these waters better than the Maldivian people, said Luiz Rocha, curator of ichthyology at the CAS and co-director theHope for Reefsinitiative. Now, the known range of both species is much smaller, important information to have when making plans for conservation. In order to photograph and collect specimens in the mesophotic zone, scientists use specialised diving gear that recirculates exhaled air rather than blowing bubbles straight into the water as regular scuba divers do. The new-to-science Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa), described today in the journal ZooKeys, is also one of the first species to have its name derived from the local Dhivehi language, 'finifenmaa' meaning 'rose', a nod to both its pink hues and the island nation's national flower. Unless otherwise stated, all material hosted by Forbes on this Forbes website is copyright GrrlScientist. This species is now on display at the Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences in San Franciscos Golden Gate Park. Soneva Fushi, Baa Atoll is set to host the Maldives first TEDx event on 19th March, 2022. The colorful and charismatic Cirrhilabrus fish are already traded as aquarium fish, including the rose-veiled fairy wrasse, Rocha said. This exemplifies why describing new species, and taxonomy in general, is important for conservation and biodiversity management.. Content on this website is for information only. Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa, or the Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse, a new species. This Indian Ocean species is very common and you may already have this fish Equally important to identifying a new species is re-evaluating and updating the known geographic ranges for both species of fish. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages. No individual or entity is permitted to copy, publish, commercially use or to claim authorship of any information contained on this Forbes website without the express written permission of GrrlScientist. Though there are hundreds of species of fish found off the coast of the Maldives, a mesmerizing new addition is the first-ever to be formally describedthe scientific process an organism goes through to be recognized as a new speciesby a Maldivian researcher. Last months expedition the first ever survey of the Maldives so-called twilight zone (or mesophotic) reefs not only collected new specimens of C. finifenmaa that were essential for this study, but it collected at least eight more species that are yet to be described and thus, may also be new to science. It was originally mistaken to be the adult version of a different species, Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, which had been described based on a single juvenile specimen from the Chagos Archipelago, an island chain 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) south of the Maldives. Wakanda forever! Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa is the new name of a popular aquarium favorite the rose scale fairy wrasse which, according to type material, has never been formally described! ). Credit: Yi-Kai Tea. the Science X network is one of the largest online communities for science-minded people. (Photo: Yi-Kai Tea/California Academy of Sciences) The fish is the first to be formally described by a Maldivian scientist. Like the elusive fictional nation of Wakanda the wrasse has eluded science due to it living in obscure remote reefs deep beneath the surface, says Tea. Thus, as more specimens were photographed and collected in the Maldives, they were erroneously assumed to be adult male and female rosy-scaled fairy wrasses. The new-to-science Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa), described in a paper published on March 10, 2022, in the journal ZooKeys, is also one of the first species to have its name derived from the local Dhivehi language, finifenmaa meaning rose, a nod to both its pink hues and the island nations national flower. This time it is different and getting to be part of something for the first time has been really exciting, especially having the opportunity to work alongside top ichthyologists on such an elegant and beautiful species.. In this new study, however, the researchers took a more detailed look at both adults and juveniles of the multicolored marvel, measuring and counting various features, such as the color of adult males, the height of each spine supporting the fin on the fishs back, and the number of scales found on various body regions. The rose-veiled fairy wrasse ( Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa) is a newly described . This time it is different and getting to be part of something for the first time has been really exciting, especially having the opportunity to work alongside top ichthyologists on such an elegant and beautiful species., This new-to-science Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse is the first Maldivian fish to ever be described by a local researcher. Young wrasses will often look like another species and don't gain differentiating characteristics until fully grown. Science X Daily and the Weekly Email Newsletter are free features that allow you to receive your favorite sci-tech news updates in your email inbox, Phys.org 2003 - 2023 powered by Science X Network. Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. wakanda. California Academy of Sciences, This new-to-science Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse is the first Maldivian fish to ever be described by a local researcher. This Labridae article is a stub. Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa (Teleostei, Labridae), a new species of fairy wrasse from the Maldives, with comments on the taxonomic identity of C. rubrisquamis and C. wakanda Author: Yi-Kai Tea, Ahmed Najeeb, Joseph Rowlett, Luiz A. Rocha Source: ZooKeys 2022 v.1088 pp. "Stunning new-to-science fairy wrasse is first-ever fish described by a Maldivian scientist." "This exemplifies why describing new species, and taxonomy in general, is important for conservation and biodiversity management.". When [lead author of the study] Kai received a picture of an adult from Chagos (which is the true C. rubrisquamis), we realized that the one from the Maldives was new, Dr Rocha explained in email. This species is found at the equator in the Indian Ocean, living in the coral reefs of the Maldives Islands archipelago.
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