Nechisar Nightjar

Birds > Caprimulgiformes

The Nechisar Nightjar (Caprimulgus solala) is one of the most mysterious and enigmatic avian species on Earth, initially recognized by ornithologists in 1990 from a single salvaged wing discovered on a remote track across the Nechisar Plains in southwestern Ethiopia....

Longdong Stream Salamander

Amphibians > Salamanders

The Longdong Stream Salamander (Batrachuperus londongensis) is a rare and secretive hynobiid salamander endemic strictly to the misty, torrential mountain streams surrounding Mount Emei in southwestern China’s Sichuan Province. Belonging to an ancient lineage of...

Giant Spotted Box Jellyfish

Invertebrates > Jellyfish

The Giant Spotted Box Jellyfish (Chirodectes maculatus) is one of the rarest, largest, and most breathtakingly hypnotic cnidarians on planet Earth. Belonging to the box jellyfish order (Chirodropida), this colossal pelagic medusa has been recorded in the wild only a...

Bargibant’s Pygmy Seahorse

Fish > Pipefishes & Seahorses

Bargibant’s Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) is one of the smallest vertebrates in the world and an undisputed master of underwater camouflage. Reaching a maximum length of barely three-quarters of an inch, this miniature marvel lives its entire adult...

Celebes Shrew Rat

Mammals > Rodents

The Celebes Shrew Rat (Crunomys celebensis) is an elusive, highly specialized terrestrial murine rodent endemic to the primary montane rainforests of central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Evolving in the biogeographical isolation of Wallacea, this carnivorous rodent represents...