Recent News
Flamingo flockings are overTuesday, July 10, 2012
After a month of flockings, the Bermuda Zoological Society’s pink plastic flamingos are returning to their storage roost until next year.
Aquarium Welcomes New Tree Kangaroo
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo [BAMZ] has welcomed a new tree kangaroo to their exhibits. Karau [pronounced KUH-row] comes to BAMZ from Lincoln Park Children’s Zoo in Chicago.
‘We hope it inspires them to become environmental stewards of the future’
Friday, June 29, 2012
Maybe some of them will pursue a career in conservation and become the next David Wingate or Jeremy Madeiros.
BASS works to raise awareness to save Sargasso Sea
Friday, June 08, 2012
FRIDAY, JUNE 8: Legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle described the Sargasso Sea as the “golden floating rainforest of the Atlantic Ocean” and now ten local non-governmental and environmental groups have teamed up to raise awareness about its importance.
Sargasso Sea: BASS Aims To Raise Awareness
Thursday, June 07, 2012
Ten local non-governmental and environmental groups are teaming up to raise awareness on the Island about the importance of protecting the Sargasso Sea.
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Latest News
All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!
By Owain Johnston-Barnes
Published Dec. 3, 2013 at 8:00 am (Updated Dec. 2, 2013 at 10:33 pm)
The yellowfin chromis, one of two species recently recognised
as being endemic to Bermuda by the Smithsonian Institution.
A pair of Bermuda fish species have been recognised by the Smithsonian Institution as being unique to Bermuda’s waters.
The yellowfin chromis and the Collette’s halfbeak have been classified as endemic to Bermuda in an update to the authoritative 1999 Fishes of Bermuda publication. Both species have been known in Bermuda’s waters for some time but were only recently determined to be endemic.
Report writers William Smith-Vaniz and Bruce Collette also identified differences between the endemic Bermuda creole wrasse and its Caribbean relatives, suggesting they may also prove to be endemic.
“We recently became aware of two colour photographs, one of a school and the other of a single individual ... of wrasses from Bermuda (Lucas 2012) identified as clepticus parrae,” the researchers wrote.
The Collette’s halfbeak, one of two species recently recognised as being endemic
to Bermuda by the Smithsonian Institution. ((Photo credit to Heidi M. Banford))
“Terminal phase adults are distinctive in having very elongate outer caudal-fin rays, mostly solid blue body and fins and a bright yellow snout. We predict that subsequent research will show these fish to be another Bermuda endemic. All records of clepticus parrae from Bermuda apparently are based on misidentification of this undescribed clepticus.”
They noted the terminal male yellowhead wrasse, called “Redbacks” locally, have different colouration than its counterparts elsewhere in the region.
The Smithsonian also listed several species not previously known to reside in Bermuda, such as the whitenose pipefish, the roughtail stingray, a deepwater opah and blackear wrasse.
A Bermuda Zoological Society spokeswoman said: “In all, 24 new records were listed, and five older records have been discounted as errors, reminding us that we still have much to discover about life on our reefs and that diligent citizen scientists, fishermen and naturalists all have key roles to play.”
The research paper is available at the Natural History Museum Library at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo.