Weedy Seadragon

Fish > Syngnathiformes

The Weedy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is a mesmerizing marine teleost fish belonging to the family Syngnathidae, which also includes pipefishes and seahorses. Endemic exclusively to the cool temperate coastal waters of southern Australia and Tasmania, this...

Cenderawasih Fairy Wrasse

Fish > Wrasses

Discovered and described in 2006 by Gerald Allen and Mark Erdmann, Cirrhilabrus cenderawasih is an extraordinary fairy wrasse endemic exclusively to Cenderawasih Bay in West Papua, Indonesia. Often called the ‘Galápagos of the East,’ Cenderawasih Bay was...

Paine’s Flasher Wrasse

Fish > Wrasses

Formally described in 2016 by ichthyologists Gerry Allen, Mark Erdmann, and Ni Luh Astria Yusmalinda, Paracheilinus paineorum is a dazzling flasher wrasse native to the coral reefs of central Indonesia. Named to honor the Paine family for their profound philanthropic...

Itaituba River Stingray

Fish > Stingrays

Formally described in 2016 from the Tapajós River basin in Pará, Brazil, Potamotrygon albimaculata is a magnificent obligate freshwater stingray. Known locally around Itaituba, this potamotrygonid elasmobranch is characterized by a circular pectoral disc adorned with...

Aphrodite Anthias

Fish > Anthiinae

Described in 2018 by deep-diving ichthyologists from the California Academy of Sciences, Tosanoides aphrodite is a breathtakingly vibrant anthias fish native solely to the isolated oceanic rocks of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the equatorial Atlantic. Discovered at...

Great River Stingray

Fish > Stingrays

Formally described in 2016 from the Tocantins River Basin of Brazil, Potamotrygon rex is one of the largest strictly freshwater stingrays in the Americas. Fittingly named ‘rex’ (king) due to its monumental proportions and majestic golden-spotted dorsal...

Abdul Kalam Blind Catfish

Fish > Catfish

Named in honor of former Indian president and scientist Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Horaglanis abdulkalami is an extraordinary, eyeless, blood-red troglobitic airbreathing catfish endemic to the subterranean water-bearing laterite aquifers of Kerala in southwestern India....

Sydney’s Pygmy Pipehorse

Fish > Seahorses & Pipefish

Sydney’s Pygmy Pipehorse (Idiotropiscis lumnitzeri) is a remarkably cryptic syngnathid fish native exclusively to the temperate coastal reefs of southeastern Australia. Reaching barely two inches in length, this miniature relative of seahorses mimics branching...

Ruby Dwarf Danio

Fish > Cyprinids

The Ruby Dwarf Danio (Paedocypris carbunculus) is a miniaturized freshwater cyprinid endemic to the ancient peat swamp forests of Central Kalimantan, Borneo. Discovered in 2008, this microscopic vertebrate belongs to a genus famed for producing some of the smallest...

Eel Catfish

Fish > Air-breathing Catfish

The Eel Catfish (Channallabes apus) is a biologically extraordinary, highly specialized clariid catfish native to the dark, swampy river networks of Central Africa’s Congo Basin. Renowned among evolutionary biomechanists for its startling ability to exit the...