Fiery sea stars, a blue-spotted guitarfish and a well-camouflaged pygmy pipehorse are among the 70 species discovered by the California Academy of Sciences in 2021.
The freshly described flora and fauna hail from as far and wide as the lowland forests of Madagascar to the coral reefs around Easter Island and the treetops of Mexico.
The discoveries, the academy said, not only enrich our understanding of the vast tree of life, but also strengthen our ability to make informed conservation decisions.
California Academy of Sciences chief Shannon Bennett said the discoveries help advance the academy’s mission to regenerate the natural world through science, learning and collaboration.
She explained that biodiversity was crucial for planet health and is at risk of disappearing faster than sustainability strategies can handle.
The 70 new species that the California Academy of Sciences discovered in 2021 include feisty sea stars, blue-spotted guitaristfishes and well-camouflaged Pygmy Pipehorse.
“As natural world stewards, it is our responsibility to take an active part in the regeneration of ecosystems.
“Our relationships to nature are improved with every new species. This deepens our knowledge of the planet’s workings and allows us to best address an uncertain future.
“As we fight a changing climate, a pandemic worldwide, it is more important than ever to preserve the diversity of life on Earth.
Among the species discovered by the California Academy of Sciences over the last year are also 14 beetles, 12 sea slugs, nine ants, seven fish, six scorpions, five flowering plants, four sharks, three spiders, two sea pens and a moss.
To celebrate the newly identified species, the academy will be holding a virtual NightSchool event — featuring several of the researchers who made the discoveries — on January 6, 2022.
Here are some highlights from the academy’s last year.
PYGMY POPEHORSE FROM PACIFIC
To the untrained onlooker, the underwater cliffs that lie off the coast of Northland — at the tip of New Zealand’s North Island — are just sheer walls of red coralline algae.
Graham Short, an expert and experienced ichthyologist saw something that was not obvious and identified a species of Cylix, a pygmypipehorse that is closely related to seahorses.
The species name, ‘tupareomanaia’, means ‘garland of the seahorse’ in te reo Māori and represents the first time that a Māori tribe had been involved in the naming of a species that is endemic to the Northland region.
To the untrained onlooker, the underwater cliffs that lie off the coast of Northland — at the tip of New Zealand’s North Island — are just sheer walls of red coralline algae. Graham Short, an ichthyologist and expert in the field of ichthyology saw a previously undiscovered species of pygmy pipese. This is the reason why the fisherman and expert photographer (pictured) gave the formal name Cylix.tupareomanaia to the pipehorse.
Not only does C. tupareomanaia represent a new species, but it is also a member of an entirely new pipehorse genus as well — the first to be reported in New Zealand, in fact, in exactly 100 years.
Dr Short compared CT scans of C. tupareomanaia with other, similar pipehorse species from the region in order to confirm that it indeed belonged to a new genus.
The genus name Cylix — which is Latin for ‘chalice’ — recognises the cup-like bone structure present on the creature’s crest, which is distinct from the more dome-shaped features seen on other pipehorse species.
“This discovery highlights how little we really know about New Zealand’s coral reefs that we have been investigating for hundreds of years,” the expert explained.
“I expect that if we dove deeper we will find many more species of fish.”
Following the identification of C. tupareomanaia, Dr Short’s findings have led to the discovery of several other members of the Cylix genus from settings including the seas around the Seychelles and South Africa.
C. tupareomanaia was described in the journal Ichthyology & Herpetology.
Dr. Short stated that this discovery shows how much we don’t know about New Zealand’s reefs, which has been explored for hundreds of years. “I expect that we will discover several new species of fish by diving deeper. A Cylix tupareomanaia specimen is shown.
C.tupareomanaia was compared to CT scans from other pipehorse species in the area to verify it belonged a different genus. The genus name Cylix — Latin for ‘chalice’ — recognises the cup-like bone structure on the creature’s crest (bottom left and right), which is distinct from the more dome-shaped features seen on other pipehorse species
EASTER EGG WEEVIL HUNT
‘Pachyrhynchus obumanuvu’ — a brightly coloured Easter egg weevil found in the forested mountaintops of the Philippines at an altitude of some 3,000 feet (914 m) — was described by entomologist Matthew Van Dam and his colleagues.
The half-inch (13.5mm), long beetle lives in the cloud canopy of Mindanao’s remaining patch of humid, moss-covered, cloud forest. Mindanao has been overlogged for centuries.
The species name of P. obumanuvu comes from the colour of its leaves.
Unlike most weevils, which tend to be a single colour, the new species sports complex patters of iridescent yellows and greens that mirror the traditional garments of the Indigenous Obu Manuvu tribe that live on the island.
Biologist Analyn Cabras of the University of Mindanao — one of Van Dam’s colleagues — said that she had another motivation to give the new species this particular name.
We are all in a race against the time, with constant threats of forest destruction. Dr Cabras stated that some insects might die out before their existence is discovered.
The name is hoped to help instill pride and stewardship among local communities.
According to the biologist, “How can conservation be taught and wildlife restoration practiced if there is no way to name a person?”
P. obumanuvu was described in the Baltic Journal of Coleopterology.
‘Pachyrhynchus obumanuvu’ (pictured) — a brightly coloured Easter egg weevil found in the forested mountaintops of the Philippines at an altitude of some 3,000 feet (914 m) — was described by entomologist Matthew Van Dam and his colleagues
SCINTILLATING SEA STARS
Over the last year, invertebrate zoologist Christopher Mah has chalked up discoveries of five new species of echinoderm — a group that includes sea stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers — from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and New Caledonia.
One of his discoveries is the Indo-Pacific sea star Uokeaster ahi, which veritably sets its reef habitat ablaze with its bright orange colour. Its species name, ‘ahi’, acknowledges this — the word means ‘fire’ in the Rapa Nui language.
The genus name, meanwhile, takes its derivation from the mythological destroyer deity Uoke, who is said to have created the Rapa Nui seen today by submerging a once-larger continent beneath the waves, leaving only a mountain above the water.
In a sense, U. ahi occupies this mythological space, living as it does in the coral reefs that lie just beneath the ocean’s surface.
Invertebrate zoologist Christopher Mah discovered the Indo-Pacific sea star Uokeaster ahi (pictured), which veritably sets its reef habitat ablaze with its bright orange colour. Its species name, ‘ahi’, acknowledges this — the word means ‘fire’ in the Rapa Nui language
As Dr Mah explains, sea stars are important contributors to the health of coral reefs — and so better understanding them can help us learn how to best protect these increasingly fragile ecosystems.
Dr Mah said, “You can never predict what benefits will accrue from studying the unknown.”
He said that such benefits could be in the form of an “emotional benefit, like an anticancer medication, or an ecological benefit, protecting coral reefs.”
The five new echinoderm species — including Uokeaster ahi — were described in the journal Zootaxa.
Uokeaster-ahi’s name genus derives its inspiration from Uoke, the mythological destroyer goddess. Pictured: Uokeaster Ahi out in the Wild
Pictured: Uoke is described in legends as having created Rapa Nui as seen today by submerging a larger continent beneath the waves — leaving only a mountain above the water
TREE-CLIMBING SCORIONS
While one may tend to think of scorpions as hailing from arid desert climates, arachnologists Lauren Esposito and Aaron Goodman have identified six new species of so-called bark scorpions from Guatemala and Mexico that hide up in treetops.
This strategy keeps them same from predators — specifically other, even larger scorpions. A new species of scorpion, the ‘Centruroides catoensis,’ has developed an extraordinary escape strategy.
At the first sign of a nearby threat — the arachnid has evolved the ability to discern the difference between the rustling of the wind and an approaching predator — it dramatically leaps from its treetop perch to plummet to the safety of the forest floor.
Goodman observed that once they reach the leaf litter you will not find them.
This reflex has allowed researchers to take night-time samples and analyze them.
By tapping branches with PVC pipes — mimicking a predator attack — the team were able to trick the scorpions into leaping down into their sample nets.
The six scorpion species were described in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.
At the first sign of a threat, the newly identified bark scorpion Centruroides catemacoensis (pictured) dramatically leaps from its treetop perch to plummet to the safety of the forest floor
FISHERIES RETUNE TO FIND HARMONY WITH GUITARFISH
Two new species of blue-spotted guitarfish — so-called because they have elongated bodies and flattened heads that lend them a resemblance to musical instruments were identified this year by ichthyologist David Ebert.
Acroteriobatus andysabini hails from the coasts of Madagascar, while its smaller counterpart Acroteriobatus stehmanni lives in the seas around Socotra, an island in archipelago off the coast of Yemen.
These shark-like rays are among the most endangered of all cartilaginous fish, thanks to how they live in close proximity to humans and are all too easily overfished.
Two new species of blue-spotted guitarfish — so-called because they have elongated bodies and flattened heads that lend them a resemblance to musical instruments were identified this year by ichthyologist David Ebert. Acroteriobatus ysabini is one species.
Acroteriobatus stehmanni lives on the coasts off Madagascar. Its smaller brother Acroteriobatus stehmanni (pictured), lives near Socotra.
However, part of Dr Ebert’s work — arguing that A. andysabini is a distinct species and should no longer be lumped with another type of guitarfish — has highlighted the need for taxonomic information to guide Malagasy fishing regulations.
This research helped Madagascar develop its first national plan for action to protect sharks and other rays.
Dr Ebert has also been working with local fisheries in order to help them incorporate species identification into their practices.
Because they are so close to people and easily overfished, guitarfish is one of the most endangered cartilaginous fish. Dr Ebert is currently working closely with fisheries to ensure that species identification has been integrated into local practices. Pictured is a Malagasy artistal fisherman, holding an enormous specimen.
The ichthyologist said that he is hopeful that guitarfish and the coastal communities that they sustain can find a harmonious balance.
“How do we protect species in an area where food security is a major concern?” Dr Ebert was asked this question, noting the difficult issues inherent in Malagasy guitaristfish’s circumstances.
‘It’s not simply a matter of protecting these animals — it’s about coming up with long-term solutions for both rays and human populations,’ he added.
The two Acroteriobatus species were described in the journal Marine Biodiversity.
‘It’s not simply a matter of protecting these animals — it’s about coming up with long-term solutions for both rays and human populations,’ he added. Pictured: a close-up of the mouth and nasal region of a juvenile Acroteriobatus andysabini specimen
LAVA FLOWS TORN ASUNDER
The subject as to whether the island of São Tomé off of the coast of Central Africa harbours one or two species of caecilian — burrowing, limbless, snake-like amphibians — has been debated by biologists since colonial times.
Herpetologist Rayna Bell and colleagues believe they have the answer, having studied the genetic makeup of 85 individual caecilians from across São Tomé and come to the conclusion that the island is occupied by two distinct species.
But Dr Bell explained that this might not be the case always.
Around 300,000 years ago, a burst of volcanic activity streaked São Tomé with lava flows, splitting the island — and the caecilians living on it — into discrete habitats.
The subject as to whether the island of São Tomé off of the coast of Central Africa harbours one or two species of caecilian — burrowing, limbless, snake-like amphibians — has been debated by biologists since colonial times. Pictured: a São Tomé caecilian
As the different groups evolved independently of each other, adapting to the particular environmental pressures of their newfound territories, they speciated.
Eventually, however, the lava flows eroded sufficiently that the two species could intermingle once again — with the millennia of interbreeding and hybridization since having blurred the genetic lines between the once distinct groups.
All findings were published in the journal Molecular Ecology.
Around 300,000 years ago, a burst of volcanic activity streaked São Tomé with lava flows, splitting the island — and the caecilians living on it — into discrete habitat, leading to a speciation event. Pictured: Pico Cão Grande, a volcanic plug on the south of the island