Three New Species of Liparid Fishes Discovered from the Mariana Islands
- Paraliparis is a genus belonging to the family Liparidae, and they are also known as snailfishes.[2]
- This research identified three new bathyal species of Paraliparis.
- Bathyal relates to the zone of the sea between the continental shelf and abyssal zone.[1]
- The new species came from Tinian and Anatahan Islands, and from Esmeralda Bank in the Mariana Islands.
- Liparidae has been found and studied at the hadal zone, the deepest region of the ocean within the oceanic trench.
- However, the three new species were found to be in the bathyal zone of the Mariana Islands.
- The new members were identified as Paraliparis echongpachot sp. nov., Paraliparis kadadakaleguak sp. nov., and Paraliparis marianae sp. nov.
- The researchers mentioned, “the existence of three species from collections at three locations in the same archipelago, and their distinctiveness from liparids known from other areas in the western Pacific to the north and south of the Mariana Archipelago, is in accordance with the high degree of endemism in species of Paraliparis.”
- Geographical distribution and liparid life-history factors that affect bathyal fish distribution in the Mariana Archipelago and enhanced endemism in Paraliparis are subject to discussion.
Sources:
Stein, D.L., Mundy, B.C. Descriptions and records of liparid fishes (Scorpaeniformes, Liparidae) from the Mariana Islands. Ichthyol Res (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-021-00814-5
[1] Oxford Dictionary
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraliparis
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Interesting find. Great video.