Tosanoides aphrodite
Marine biologists from the California Academy of Sciences in 2018 discovered a new species of fish inhabiting coral reefs near the St. Paul Cliffs, an archipelago of small islets about 580 miles (940 km) from northeastern Brazil. The new species, named Tosanoides aphrodite, belongs to a small genus of fish of the family Serranidae that lives among coral reefs. It should be noted that the discovered fish is a big find, since its closest tribesmen live in the Pacific Ocean, and this fish in the Atlantic. The fish got its name, as it is not difficult to guess, in honor of Aphrodite - the ancient Greek goddess.
The fish can be found in the crevices of coral reefs at a depth of 100-260 m. At this depth, the constant darkness and the fish are practically invisible. The fish were discovered purely by chance, a group of divers, while watching the shark, dipped to a depth of about 120 m, where they were found in the crevices of the reefs.
Adults Tosanoides aphrodite reach a size of 5-8 cm. Males have on the body of alternating stripes of yellow and pink coloration, while females have a solid blood-orange color. The fins are colored in lettuce.
It is no exaggeration to say that Tosanoides aphrodite is one of the most beautiful marine and colorful fish in the Atlantic Ocean. Because of its long spine, the presence of an extra fin ray, and the result of DNA tests - the fish has been classified as a new species, publishing its description in the journal Zookeys.
The Tosanoides aphrodite belongs to a similar fish known as the Anthiadinae, but they live in the Pacific Ocean. So does the Hawaiian species, first described in 2016 and named Tosanoides obama - after former U.S. President Barack Obama.
The water temperature in the fish's habitat (about 120 m deep) varies between 13 and 15° C.
Of course, many aquarists would want Tosanoides aphrodite in their aquarium. Due to the small size of the fish, it would be possible to keep them in relatively small aquariums, and given their insane beauty, these fish would surely outshine all the other inhabitants of the marine aquarium by their presence. There is only one thing, but, as written above, these fish are found only in one place and in addition live in great depths, which makes them very problematic to catch. In addition, the population of these fish is probably small, so we can not hope that they appear in the free market.
