Recent News
Aquarium welcomes two feathered friendsWednesday, April 22, 2015
The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo is celebrating the arrival of two new feathered additions to the animal population.
Aquarium revamp set for mid-June finish
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
A major renovation of the aquarium is expected to be completely finished by mid-June. It had initially been hoped that the aquarium would be open to the public again by the end of this month.
Kate takes the plunge at Deep Sea World
Friday, April 10, 2015
When Bermudian Kate Cooper settles down to her new job training seal pups and diving in the tanks at Scotland’s Deep Sea World, she will have her early start in Bermuda’s own aquarium to thank for the opportunity.
Cancer survivor’s view beneath the waves
Wednesday, April 08, 2015
Ron Lucas was scuba diving 12 days after he completed treatment for his prostate cancer.
Deep sea squid found off The Reefs
Saturday, March 28, 2015
A squid carcass several feet long that washed up at a beach in Southampton looked so alive that diver Choy Aming had to check to make sure.
About
GovernanceAbout Us
Board of Directors
Contact Us
Newsletter
Latest News
Gift & Bookstore
Contact
General Inquiries
info@bzs.bm
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.