Recent News
Protecting the island's rarest speciesFriday, July 05, 2013
Mark Outerbridge has been charged with no minor task. As Conservation Service’s new Wildlife Ecologist he is responsible for ensuring that Bermuda’s rarest and most endangered species are not wiped out in the sands of time.
Baby dolphin photographed off North Shore
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Boaters off the North Shore had a rare opportunity to witness passing Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.
Two Dolphins Spotted Inshore Off North Shore
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
A pair of Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins were spotted inshore yesterday [June 24] off the North Shore, and the Department of Conservation said it is “highly unusual” for them to be close to shore and in such small numbers.
The Sea Dragon Trip
Friday, June 07, 2013
My name is Choy Aming and I am an aquarist at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. I was recently sent out on a collecting assignment in the Sargasso Sea on the research vessel Sea Dragon.
Bermuda Skinks heading for a UK ‘lifeboat’
Friday, June 07, 2013
The fight to protect the critically endangered Bermuda Skink has found a new ally — the UK’s Chester 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.