Last year, scientists at the California Academy of Sciences named 138 new-to-science species, including a new damselfish species — Chromis abadhah — the group announced in its latest press release.
Discovered on a 2022-23 survey trip in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean on an expedition to explore deep-sea coral reefs and surrounding fish species, the newest named Chromis gives marine researchers a deeper understanding of damselfish and the larger marine ecosystem.
Damselfish is one of the most abundant families of fish in coral habitats. The Chromis genus is the largest damselfish subfamily, with nearly 80 named Chromis species, according to a ZooKeys research article written by the team credited with the discovery of the new species.
Luiz Rocha and his team identified the new species across eight research sites in the Maldives — each at a depth of at least 100 meters (328 feet) below sea level, Phys.org reported.
The new damselfish species has a "pearly white [body] with pale blue undertones," which probably allows the fish to assimilate and blend in with the environment at that depth of the water, the team's ZooKeys article described.
Funded by Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative, Rocha and his team paid homage to the program that made the discovery possible, naming the new species after the initiative. According to their article, "abadhah" translates to "perpetual" in Maldivian, or Dhivehi, the local language of the Maldives.
"We also hope that this species and its habitat remain perpetual," the authors of the ZooKeys article wrote.
Evolving species in nature are exciting discoveries. They allow scientists to explore uncharted territories and better understand the keys to success in nature, especially in the world's changing climate.
With the help of new technology, including robots, researchers may have discovered over 100 new species in the southeast Pacific Ocean, adding to our current catalog of species in the underwater world.
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A new species of amphipods in Peru provides important insights into how some freshwater animals adapt and survive in hotter temperatures.
Sometimes, new species may even provide the answers to some of humans' prolonged agricultural challenges — such as this new nematode worm, which could protect food crops without the need for harmful chemicals.
Research and technology lead to innovative climate solutions.
Through the Perpetual Planet initiative, Rolex's press release reads: "Rolex continues to play its part in the fight to protect the future of our oceans."
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