new frogfish species?

Posted over on Fins. This little guy has a spectacular color pattern and has been seen only twice in 15 years. The people over at Maluku Divers who found it are looking for a name or confirmation that it's new.

http://www.seafocus.com/linksnews.html

http://www.finsonline.com/blog/fins/200802...fish-first.html

http://www.divingmaluku.com/new-frogfish.html

Wow! It's beautiful.

Very Pretty. It must be nice to find and identify such a beautiful new species.

I guess it is a Histiophryne cryptic forgfish species. I think there are examples of that in the Debelius/Kuiter book and in the Humann/DeLoach book. Although none are as pretty as this one. What a stunner.

That said given the variety in appearance in many of the other frogfish species this may well be a variety of one of the known species?

Alex

Looks like a piece of coral side on.

He is a nice looking one ain't he...or she...

That is a beauty!

Love the see one of those in the next 15 years. LOL

Thanks for sharing.

Todd

Wow, a beaut is right! He looks like his mama might have been a rhinopias...

Some of the photos make it look like he's a bit elongated in his body. It'll be interesting to see if he really is a new species.

So cool..

Linda

I also think it is one of the most amazing coloured animals I have ever seen ...

... do they have to kill it to test for it being a new species?

Normally new species are described from dead animals. For fish details like counts of the tiny bones supporting the fins or the gills are important characters. There could be some external characters that make it easy to see that it's different but for a full description a scientist needs a body. There have been a couple of recent cases - birds I think - where the scientists knew the animal was very rare & didn't want to kill or keep them. After capturing the bird & taking photographs, a few feathers, & some blood for DNA analysis, it was released. Since the description was published there's been extensive discussion in the taxonomic community about the ethics of this versus scientific accuracy.

Leslie that is gorgeous!!

And I know Andy Shorten too - great guy!

Also is there the possibility that this frogfish is a hybrid?

I know Scott Michael referenced to me that frogfish species do hybridize sometimes.

Again this one is so gorgeous - yes collecting it would make me sick - maybe we should just let it alone to proliferate and see what happens in the future!!!

Carol

You're asking me? Where's that fish boy when you need him?

The fish boy is back! I've never seen anything like it, very pretty indeed! I was going to ask around, but I see they already have a quote from the world's foremost authority on this group:

Professor Theodore Pietsch, of the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences in Washington University, Seattle, had the following to say:

 

"I can say that in my 40 or so years studying frogfishes and anglerfishes in general, I have never seen one like this. Very striking is the highly unusual, flat face that allows the eyes to be directed forward, perhaps providing for binocular vision. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins appear to be highly fleshy, covered by loose skin. Also, looking closely at the forehead, I can't see any trace of a luring apparatus. If I had to say what it's closest living relative might be, I'd suggest the genus Histiophryne, but this taxon differs in a host of other ways. In summary, it's quite unlike any antennarioid I've ever seen and most likely represents a genus new to science."

I fully agree with the above, it is not only a new species, but probably also a new genus. Nobody in the world knows more about frog fish than Ted Pietsch. It is amazing to know that there is so much left to be discovered out there...

Again this one is so gorgeous - yes collecting it would make me sick - maybe we should just let it alone to proliferate and see what happens in the future!!!

I say collect it! It is for the progress of science!!

But in all seriousness, if collecting one or two is going to influence the species survival, the species is doomed to extinction anyways (it is impossible to crate a genetically viable population starting from this few individuals). I think they just gone unnoticed because they are very cryptic.

There have been quite a few Indo Pacific fish experts that have looked at this already and said that it's more than likely a new genus, never mind new species.

Collecting this is the only it will be ID'd. There are new species popping up all the time and species dying off all the time. This has been happening since the animals began life! If it wsn't for collection we'd have no names for anything and really good information either!