After almost 30 years with an identity “false”, they discover a new rainbow fish in the Maldives
Off the coast of the Maldives They have discovered a new species of rainbow fish that they have baptized with the scientific name Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa. Marine biologist Ahmed Najeeb is the first Maldivian researcher to discover and name a new species. The specimen is fairy fish with rose veil, which gets its name in the local language Dhivehi. Finifenmaa means "pink” and is a tribute to the pink national flower of the islands, as well as the color of the fish. They found this species at a depth of 40 to 70 meters below the surface of the Indian Ocean.
"Species found in the Maldives have always been described by foreign scientists without much input from local scientists."He expressed ahmed najeeb, biologist at the Maldives Marine Research Institute, who was the author of the name of the fish. “This time it's different and being a part of something for the first time has been really exciting, especially getting the opportunity to work alongside the best ichthyologists on such an elegant and beautiful species.".
failed identity
The fish has a history of failed identity as it was first found in the 1990s, but at the time, researchers thought it was an adult belonging to Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, the red velvet fairy fish.
But the new fish, with the colors of the rainbow, was discovered after researchers re-examined the Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, and they found two different species. The differences between the two species are subtle, such as the height of the spines and the number of scales on different parts of the body, but DNA analysis confirmed that these two species are genetically distinct.
They found that the females Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa, which are mainly red, pink, and blue, were much like Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis. However, adult males are not, as they have a unique color pattern that includes bright magenta, pastel orange, orange-pink, and deep purplish-red. Furthermore, the study revealed that Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa has a much smaller geographic range than Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, which means that conservation efforts must be increased to protect the species.
two different species
«What we used to think was a widespread fish species are actually two different species; each with a potentially much smaller population"said the lead author of the study, Yi Kai Tea, from the University of Sydney.
In addition, he added that «this shows why the description of new species and taxonomy in general is important for the conservation and management of biodiversity«.
However, the researchers suspect that the population of Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa of Maldives may be in danger of declining. Local fishermen have long sought the Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis to sell them into the global aquarium trade, which brings in about $330 million each year, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Because the two species of wrasse look so much alike, Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa can also be affected by such activities.
