Scientists Discover Seven New Species of Fish

DNA Sheds New Light on Fishes

Starksia blennies are less than 5 cm (2 inches) in length and generally native to shallow to moderately deep rock and coral reefs in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans. It would have been reasonable to assume that there was little about the group left to discover. Modern DNA barcoding techniques, however, suggested otherwise. While trying to match larval stages of coral reef fish to adults through DNA, the team of scientists from the Smithsonian and Ocean Science Foundation noticed contradictions between the preliminary genetic data and the current species classification. Further investigation revealed that the team was dealing with many species new to science, including the new Starksia blennies. Read more at: Smithsonian Ocean Portal