Tomiyamichthys is the fourth largest genus of shrimpgoby, with a dozen described species and many more yet awaiting scientific names. These are mostly small and inconspicuous fishes found in silty habitats some distance away from coral reefs, and so they tend not to...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d45nDy-Gem8&t=0s NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer just wrapped up a month-long expedition to the Musicians Seamounts north of Hawaii and managed to capture some truly awe-inspiring footage of the region’s abundant coral biodiversity. There...
One of the rarest reef systems on the planet occurs off the coast of Taoyuan in Northwestern Taiwan, and, unfortunately, it may soon be destroyed to make room for an industrial park. Unlike the coral-dominated reefs characteristic of the tropics, this unique habitat...
The Kole Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) is an especially abundant species in the waters of Hawaii and among the most popular surgeonfishes within the aquarium trade. Yet, despite the large number of specimens that are photographed and collected, we seldom see any...
In 2014, an enigmatic deepsea creature was made known to the world, the aptly named Dendrogramma enigmatica. It’s peculiar morphology made it a puzzle for researchers to identify, even at the broadest scale. Some suggested it might be flatworm with an exceptionally...
Few marine organisms are quite so obscure as the siphonophore. Next time you’re at a dinner party, try this little experiment: ask ten people to draw one and see what they come up with. Unless there happens to be an experienced blackwater diver or marine biologist in...
Back in February, we welcomed into the world four new species of damselfishes from the Pomacentrus philippinus group, and now there’s a new member to meet: the Yelloweye Damselfish (P. flavioculus). It’s easily recognized in this species complex thanks to its namesake...
Walking Corals (Heteropsammia & Heterocyathus) are well-known for the bizarre symbiotic relationship they share with sipunculan worms—the coral makes a secure home for the worm and the worm helps out by dragging the coral around, righting its scleractinian host if...
Everyone’s favorite marine research vessel, NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer, is currently out at the Musicians Seamounts—a little-known and largely unexplored group of extinct underwater volcanoes which lie just to the north of Hawaii—and they’ll be livestreaming their...
A new study is helping to shed light on the variables that influence growth rates in one of the aquarium trade’s most popular stony corals, Duncanopsammia axifuga (AKA Duncan’s Coral). Frags of this coral are always in high demand, making this an especially profitable...