The team discovers new dazzling fish species in neon colors

During a recent expedition to the remote Brazilian archipelago of St. Paul 's Rocks, a new species of reef fish – scratched from a bright pink and yellow – delighted its discoverers of the California Academy of Sciences. First spotted at a depth of 400 feet below the surface of the ocean, this cryptic fish inhabits the rocky crevices of the reefs of the Twilight Zone and is found nowhere else in the world. Upon discovery, the deep dive team was so captivated by their fin that they did not notice a huge six-gram shark hovering over them for a captivating moment captured by the camera. The new description of the fish published today in zookeys.

"It's one of the most beautiful fish I've ever seen," says Dr Luiz Rocha, fish curator at the Academy and co-leader Hope for the reefs initiative. "It was so enchanting that we ignored everything that surrounds it."

The six-acre shark was nearly ten feet long and crossed its head while Rocha and his postdoctoral colleague, Dr. Hudson Pinheiro, were delicately picking up the fish for further study at the Academy. Behind the camera, the team's diving officer, Mauritius Bell, enthusiastically announced the duo's visitor, but to no avail. Well appointed, Tosanoides aphrodite Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty, enchanted the ancient Greek gods.

"The fish in the twilight zone tend to be pink or reddish," says Pinheiro. "The red light does not penetrate into these dark depths, making the fish invisible unless they are illuminated by a light like the one we carry when diving."

Back at the Academy, Claudia Rocha, head of the laboratory and collections, helped the duo to describe the new species: The males are equipped with alternating pink and yellow stripes while the females display a solid orange color. With the help of a microscope, the team counted the fins and measured spine length; The DNA analysis revealed that the new species is the first member of its kind living in the Atlantic.

The new inhabitants of the depths are a remarkable testimony to the vast ocean habitats that are still unexplored. Rocha and Pinheiro are part of a deep diving research team that adventure into the reefs of the Twilight Zone – mysterious coral habitats extending on a narrow ocean strip of 200 to 500 feet beneath the surface. In these deep reefs, animals live in partial darkness, beyond the limits of recreational diving, but above deep trenches patrolled by submarines and ROVs. As part of his Hope for the reefs initiative, the Academy team and its collaborators are exploring this unknown frontier with the help of high-tech equipment such as closed circuit recyclers that allow scientists to extend their time by search under water.

Nearly 600 miles off the coast of Brazil, St. Paul's Rocks is so far away that the dive team had to use the research vessel. M / V Alucia as a starting point to explore the archipelago. Rock outcrops are extensions of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – an active tectonic plate boundary – puncturing the surface of the ocean. Given the unique geology of the region and its isolated location, many species that live there are nowhere else on Earth. Thanks to their research, the Hope for the reefs The team notes that habitats in the twilit zone are also home to many species

In a recent reference document, the team found that twilight zone reefs are unique ecosystems bursting with life and are just as vulnerable to climate change threats as their shallow counterparts. Their findings cast doubt on the long-standing assumption that species could migrate from one habitat to another to avoid human-related stressors. As the images of the discovery of this new fish show, a piece of fishing line can be seen running behind the six-pinned shark, proving that human impacts also extend to depth.

"In this time of global crisis for coral reefs, it is essential to better understand unexplored reef habitats and their colorful inhabitants to understand how to protect them," says Rocha. "We aim to showcase the vast and unexplored wonders of the ocean and to inspire a new generation of sustainability champions."

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Deep diving scientists say shallow reefs can not rely on twilight zone systems for recovery

More information:
zookeys, DOI: 10.3897 / zookeys.786.27382