Scientists have discovered a new denizen living in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The Lady Elliot Shrimp Goby (“Tomiyamichthys elliotensis”) was found near Lady Elliott Island, along the southernmost coral cay of the reef.
University of the Sunshine Coast marine biologist Chris Dudgeon, one of the researchers working on a reef mapping project that found the new Goby, told SciNews.com it was “a significant, exciting discovery.”
“It’s been a while since a ‘never recorded anywhere before’ fish has been described from the Great Barrier Reef.”
Dr. Mark Erdmann, who co-authored the paper identifying the new fish, said:
“I’m delighted that the biodiversity research being conducted as part of the Leaf to Reef project is highlighting these ‘cryptobenthic’ species like the gobies, which besides comprising a significant proportion of the reef fish biodiversity on the Great Barrier Reef, are also vitally important as a significant source of food to larger reef fishes including wrasses, groupers and emperors.”
Check out the paper describing the discovery here.
