Recent News
Teaser screenings of ‘Ocean Vet’ seriesThursday, September 03, 2015
Excerpts from seven episodes of Ocean Vet starring the late Neil Burnie will be screened over the next two months at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.
‘Wild animal’ was actually a large cat
Monday, August 31, 2015
A “wild animal” that caused the Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve to be closed off on Friday evening was revealed to be a “rather large feral cat”, according to the Parks Department.
Police & BAMZ Attend Report Of “Wild Animal”
Friday, August 28, 2015
The police are on scene at the Cooper’s Island area in St David’s this evening [Aug 28] after what we understand to be a situation involving someone reporting the sighting of a dangerous animal.
Hopes of sea turtle breeding ground
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
A bounty of almost 90 hatched green sea turtle eggs has been discovered at the site of what is believed to be the first on-Island hatchlings for 100 years.
Turtle nest found on St George’s beach
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Green turtle hatchlings discovered on an East End beach have been labelled Bermuda’s “natural history event of the century”.
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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.