‘Exuberantly colored’ creature found at bottom of Great Barrier Reef. See new species
In the depths of the northern Great Barrier Reef, a flash of iridescent, neon color zips through the nooks and crannies of dead coral rubble.
Scientists were studying small fish known as Paracheilinus when they spotted the creature in Harrier Reef. They, in turn, discovered a new species called Amanda’s Flasher Wasser, or Paracheilinus amanda, according to a study published Sept. 14 in Ichthyology & Herpetology.
Paracheilinus are small, “exuberantly colored” fish, researchers said. The creatures are known for their “stunning” courting behaviors, in which males will “temporarily ‘flash’ iridescent colors,” swim rapidly and exhibit an erect fin.
The new species of Paracheilinus has an orange to orange-brown head and body that is marked with a distinct pattern of bands and stripes, according to the study. The stripes are a purplish blue to bright neon blue.
They have bright orange irises with a bright yellow ring. Their fins are translucent and colorful, with shades of yellow, red and bright blue.
Male specimens ranged in length from about 1.47 inches to 1.87 inches, researchers said. One female specimen was measured to be about 1.27 inches.
Scientists said they named the species Amanda’s Flasher Wasser after Amanda Hay, the ichthyology collections manager at the Australian Museum in Sydney.
Paracheilinus amanda typically live in deep rubble pans — collections of dead coral — researchers said. They are known from the Harrier Reef in the northern Great Barrier Reefs, but they have also been found in the Flora, Holmes and Osprey reefs in the Coral Sea. The fish have also been collected in southern Papua New Guinea.
This story was originally published September 15, 2023 at 2:34 PM with the headline "‘Exuberantly colored’ creature found at bottom of Great Barrier Reef. See new species."
