A new species of scorpionfish was discovered by Dr. Carole C. Baldwin of the Smithsonian Institute and lead scientist for the Smithsonian’s Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP), Ms. Diane Pitassy (also of the Washington Smithsonian), and Dr. Ross Robertson of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. The manned submersible ‘Curasub’ was around the island of Curacao when the new species was found.
The official name, Scorpaenodes barry-browni, is in honor of freelance photographer Barry Brown who has photographed many of DROP’s live captures. The common name is Stellate Scorpionfish, due to its star shaped yellow spots and distinctive eye markings. It is the deepest living member of its genus in the area.
References:
Pensoft Publishers. “Scorpionfish too deep for SCUBA divers caught by submersible turns out to be a new species.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 July 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160721143910.htm>.
Image courtesy Barry Brown via a Creative Commons by 4.0 license.