When we think of Galapagos we think first about things that don't change. The lava lizards and iguanas that have been here and exist no where else in the world. Blue footed boobies, red billed tropic birds, Eagle Rays and Golden Rays. Creatures that have lived here as long as Galapagos has been in existence. We don't think of 21st Century creatures.
That’s why when new endemic species are found it’s really exciting and important. Recently the Galapagos Conservancy reported the discovery of two new fish species, both believed to be endemic to Galapagos.
There’s a fish that lives abundantly in the Pacific Ocean called Scorpaenodes. It comes in many forms with different names and different appearances.
For example:
Scorpaenodes Corallinus:
Scorpaenodes Quamensis:
Scorpaenodes Minor
But, the fish that lives in the rocky reef areas off of San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Espanola and Isabela is different in genetics and morphology from all of them. Until now this particular Scorpaenodes species was unidentified and is now believed to be endemic to Galapagos.
The other new discovery is the 2-foot
long Gobiomurus sp that inhabits the coastal bodies of water fed by fresh water
on the island of San Cristobal. This fish is called the “Big Mouth Sleeper
Fish.” This species is endemic to the
Eastern Pacific, and is found from the tip of Baja California and the mouth of
the Gulf of California, Mexico to northern Peru, including the Galapagos and
Cocos Islands. While we have known of
the existence of this fish for a long time, it’s just now that scientists have
confirmed its distinctions and likely endemic quality – and thus clear
adaptation to the Galapagos environment.
(All photographs from Moorea Biocode by Jeffrey T. Williams)
Watch my blog and I'll keep you informed of news from Galapagos!
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