Mistaken Identity

A case of mistaken identity has been rectified, leading to a new fish species. Long thought to be a dog snapper in Brazil, a popular game fish is actually a new species, dubbed Lutjanus alexandrei, which lives among the expansive reefs of the Abrolhos region in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Rodrigo Moura of Conservation International and Kenyon Lindeman of Environmental Defense spent five years analyzing the fish before concluding it's a distinct species. They say the discovery reveals the need for more comprehensive studies of Brazil's reef fish populations.

The new species is named for 18th century naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira, whose extensive work in the Brazilian interior remains largely unknown. Moura and Lindeman spent five years observing Lutjanus alexandrei to analyze its characteristics and determine the distinct features.

Named after 18th century naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues, the new species is described in a recent issue of the international science journal Zootaxa. "It looks like other snapper species found in the Caribbean and eastern United States, as well as the dog snapper caught by fishermen here in Brazil, but it is a distinct species with different markings and color," Moura said.

Moura added, "This discovery that a large, popular fish is a species new to science shows how little we know about the oceans that surround us."

--LiveScience Staff

• Amazing Images: Photos You Submit
• Image Galleries: Science All Around You
• Videos: Science and Nature in Action

Credit: Rodrigo Moura