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Seven New Fish Discovered

Preview Seven of the newly discovered Starksia blennies, small fish with elongated bodies
(Smithsonian Institution)

Starksia blennies, small fish with elongated bodies, generally native to shallow to moderately deep rock and coral reefs in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans, have been well-studied for more than 100 years. It would have been reasonable to assume that there was little about the group left to discover. Using modern genetic analysis combined with traditional examination of morphology, scientists discovered in 2011 that what were once thought to be three species of blenny are actually 10 distinct species. Learn more in the article "Scientists Discover Seven New Species of Fish."