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A mesmerising new fish species has been identified in the waters off the coast of the Maldives.
The rose-veiled fairy wrasse, Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa, has been described in a paper published in the journal ZooKeys last week.
The vibrant, rainbow-coloured fish was first collected in 1990 but it wasn’t identified as a distinct species until now.
Both species are found in mesophotic coral reefs, which grow deeper than tropical reefs at depths between 30-149 metres.
The reefs are sometimes called “twilight reefs” as they’re in the “twilight zone” of the ocean.
Wrasse can reach lengths of up to seven centimetres.
DNA analysis were conducted on the two wrasse species and determined they are genetically distinct animals.
“What we previously thought was one widespread species of fish is actually two different species, each with a potentially much more restricted distribution,” lead author Yi-Kai Tea, a doctoral student at the University of Sydney, said in a statement.
“This exemplifies why describing new species, and taxonomy in general, is important for conservation and biodiversity management.”
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The study found rose-veiled fairy wrasse have a smaller range than the red-velvet fairy wrasse, which is found throughout the Indian Ocean.
While females of the species look alike, the scales of male rose-veiled fairy wrasse feature more orange and yellow.
Source: 9News
