L. Alexandrei described - new Brazilian Snapper

Lutjanus alexandrei has been described recently in the paper “A new species of snapper (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) from Brazil, with comments on the distribution of Lutijanus griseua and L. apodus” by R.L. Moura and K.C. Lindeman (in Zootaxa 1422: 31-43: 2007).

This new endemic species from Brazil has been misidentified in the past as other species, including L. apodus (schoolmaster), L. jocu and L. griseus (gray snapper) . This brings the total known western Atlantic species of snapper to 12.

First known to be different in 2003, the species was further acknowledged as being unique through subsequent morphological examinations in the field and museum specimens.

Having a reddish body and fins, blue spots, and white lines along its surface, this snapper is a rather stunning fish indeed. Named after naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira, this new snapper has had the common name of Brazilian Snapper proposed.

New Sponges - Cancer and Other Disease Aids?

Scientists soak up sponges knowledge

Divers have uncovered a treasure trove of underwater animals new to science off the coast of Rathlin Island - but warned that Spongebob Squarepants and his family are already under threat.

The scientists from the Ulster Museum have uncovered 128 different sponge species in the seas off the North Channel island - including nine which are new to Northern Ireland, three which have never been seen in UK waters and 28 which are new to science altogether.

And although most of us are familiar with Spongebob as the bath accessory we use to scrub our backs, it turns out he could be the granddaddy of us all.

New DNA research suggests a sponge could well have been the ancestor of all multi-celled animals - everything from seahorses to dinosaurs to humans.

Bernard Picton, who led the research at Rathlin, says our sponge ancestor probably existed 500 or 600 million years ago. Its descendants could hold the key to future medical research.
The new species found at Rathlin could contain chemicals that are potential antibiotics or anti-cancer drugs, he said.

"It's not just blue sky research," he said.

"We knew that Rathlin Island was an important area for sponges but the results of the project have surpassed our expectations.

"These findings make it one of the most important areas in Europe for sponges and this discovery is particularly important because it will aid other researchers in their study of sponge communities in the future."

Scientists first realised that the sponge communities of Rathlin were unusually rich during a study of Ulster's wildlife 20 years ago, but it was only during the recent six-week scuba diving survey that the four-strong team realised how special the spot is.

The team has collected 849 specimens, taken more than 3,000 photographs and are investigating another 19 species

Antarctic Seafloor Videos

You can view video footage taken from recent Antarctic seafloor exploration at the Costeau Society website.