Researchers discovered a new seadragon species that has brilliant red coloring.
Before this discovery, scientists had only identified two seadragon species: yellow and purple Common Seadragons; and Leafy Seadragons that have an orange tint, Scripps Institution of Oceanography reported. This new "ruby" species was discovered while researchers were analyzing tissue samples supplied by the Western Australia Museum (WAM).
"We're now in a golden age of taxonomy and these powerful DNA tools are making it possible for more new species than ever to be discovered," said Greg Rouse, curator of the Scripps Benthic Invertebrate Collection. "That such large charismatic marine species are still being found is evidence that there is still much to be done. This latest finding provides further proof of the value of scientific collections and museum holdings."
After the initial analysis, the researchers requested a full specimen, which turned out to be a male carrying several dozen babies.
"A CT (computer tomography) scan gave us 5,000 X-ray slices that we were able to assemble into a rotating 3-D model of the new seadragon," said Scripps graduate student Josefin Stiller. "We could then see several features of the skeleton that were distinct from the other two species, corroborating the genetic evidence."
The scientists believe the new species' coloring suggests it resides in deeper waters than the other two known seadragon species, and the brilliant red acts as camouflage at these depths.
Gaining insight into seadragon diversity could aid in preservation efforts, and the scientists plan to put together a search expedition that will aim to observe the newly discovered species in its natural habitat.
"I've always been fascinated with marine life, especially seadragons, so this is an amazing discovery," said Mary "Dewy" White, cofounder of the Lowe Family Foundation, which supported the research. "People always talk about going to outer space but they forget about the ocean we have here on our own planet. For me ocean conservation and research is paramount, and we need to do what we can to encourage and nurture ocean exploration."
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Royal Society Open Science.
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