Recent News
Cox Family Donate New Boat To Dr WingateWednesday, November 18, 2015
The Bermuda Zoological Society [BZS] said they would like to recognize and thank the Cox family, owners of the Waterfront Group, for their donation of a Boston Whaler with a fuel efficient Mercury engine to Dr. David Wingate so that he may continue to contribute to conservation in Bermuda.
Campaign To Make Island A “Living Classroom”
Friday, October 23, 2015
The Bermuda Zoological Society [BZS] has been focused on their ongoing campaign for education on Trunk Island in Harrington Sound, with the BZS aiming to provide classes that utilize the island as a “living classroom” to some 3,000 students.
Island turned into conservation classroom
Friday, October 23, 2015
Volunteers have given up nearly 2,000 hours of their time to help transform Trunk Island into a living classroom for schoolchildren.
WILD Tales Fall 2015
Thursday, October 01, 2015
Bermuda Zoological Society Fall edition of WILD Tales.
‘Jewel in crown’ of BZS education efforts
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Trunk Island could become the centrepiece of environmental education programmes, according to the Bermuda Zoological Society.
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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.