Photo credit: Yi-Kai Tea | California Academy of Sciencesa
This isn’t a Photoshopped image, just a new-to-science Rose-Veiled Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa) fish that looks to be straight out of the Twilight Zone. A team of scientists from the California Academy of Sciences, the University of Sydney, the Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMRI), and the Field Museum collaborated on the discovery as part of the Academy’s Hope for Reefs initiative aimed at better understanding as well as protecting coral reefs around the world.
This rainbow-colored fish species are typically found in the deep coral reefs, also known as the “twilight reefs”. They were first collected by researchers back in the 1990s, but the fish was originally thought to be the adult version of a different species. During this study, scientists were able to study both adults and juveniles, measuring as well as counting their various features.
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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. 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,” said Ahmed Najeeb, study co-author and Maldives Marine Research Institute biologist.
