New Fish Species of Papillated Redbait Discovered, Staying in Deepwater

The latest report unveiled a new fish species of papillated redbait, which usually stays in tropical and warm waters.

Discovering new species in oceans is crucial for scientists for protection and mitigation efforts, especially since some can be threatened or dwindling in numbers. As a result, researchers have been studying the oceans to look for species unknown to science.

In a new report, Dr. Katherine Bemis, from NOAA Fisheries' National Systematics Laboratory, and her team found something unknown underwater. The researchers travel to collect fish specimens to develop DNA barcodes.

New Fish Species of Papillated Redbait

The research findings were published in Zookeys. The researchers described the discovery of the redbait genus, which seems similar to the species of E. Struhsakeri. According to reports, Emmelichthyidae comes from a small family of fish that are mostly found in tropical areas of the ocean.

The new finding is described as Emmelichthys papillatus.

Redbaits are small fish that can have nine to 10 spines. The species can live for eight to 10 years, and is found in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and southwest Atlantic Ocean. Bemis and Dr. Matthew Girard are significant in analyzing different species and specimens from the Philippines.

In observing the specimens, the researchers found that one did not match their genetic sequences. It urged them to look into the anatomy and biology of a potential discovery, showing different gill rakers, pectoral fin rays, and pectoral girdles. The specimen was undescribed in the field of science.

"We also don't know anything about their reproduction or what they eat-really basic aspects of their biology remain to be studied. Now that we recognize that it is different, we only have more to study as new specimens of papillated redbait are collected," Bemis said, as quoted in a NOAA report.

The researchers are optimistic that they have more to discover, especially the new species found in the fish markets. Understanding the different undescribed species will be helpful in analyzing their habitats and the food they consume.

"I've had researchers that work on fish taxonomy say to me, 'I didn't even know this family existed.' That's how little we know about this group," Girard added, as quoted in the same report.

The Importance of Uncovering New Species

Oceans are vast with unknown species, particularly in the deep oceans. Reports explain that about the world's oceans are still unexplored. The ocean depths are very challenging to navigate, requiring massive resources to uncover. The low visibility and extreme environment make it more challenging for many scientists.

As a result, ocean technologies and advancements are helpful to potentially observe the depths of oceans and deep seas.

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