Recent News
Turtles show their faces on Church StreetSaturday, October 13, 2018
The Bermuda Post Office has marked the 50th anniversary of the Bermuda Turtle Project with a series of postal panels featuring special stamps.
Mandu can see clearly again after surgery
Tuesday, October 09, 2018
Last month ophthalmic surgeon, Dr. Leonard Teye-Botchway, operated on the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo’s Parma Wallaby, Mandu, removing his luxated lens that was causing fluid build-up and dangerous pressure to form in his eye.
Reid, Dowling, Hill, Godfrey Awarded Scholarships
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
The Bermuda Zoological Society has selected the recipients of the Steinhoff/BZS scholarship and, for the first time, the Pye Scholarship, with Amber Reid, Ryan Dowling, Archer Hill and Jessica Godfrey all being awarded scholarships.
Oldest seal at BAMZ dies aged 35
Thursday, August 30, 2018
The oldest harbour seal at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo has died at the age of 35.
‘Bermuda Adventure’ continues
Tuesday, August 07, 2018
A pilot programme of community celebration, organised by the group Imagine Bermuda, marked a success at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo.
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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.