Far beneath the waves surrounding the Maldives, there’s a living rainbow in the ocean’s "twilight zone." Say hello to the rose-veiled fairy wrasse, a colorful species of fish that’s new to science.
Highlights
- The rose-veiled fairy wrasse is the first fish to be described by a Maldivian scientist.
- The scientific name Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa is a nod to the pink rose, the national flower of the Maldives.
- Researchers first found the fish in the 1990s, but they thought it was an adult belonging to the red velvet fairy wrasses.
- The fish has a unique color pattern including bright magenta, peach, orange, orange-pink and dark purplish-red.
- Researchers say describing new species, and taxonomy in general, is important for conservation and biodiversity management.
- The species is already at a high risk of overexitation, but it has a scientific name, also