New Species of Snapper Found Off Brazil

A new species of snapper fish has been discovered among the reefs of the Abrolhos region of the South Atlantic Ocean, off Brazil.

The new species — Lutjanus alexandrei — was discovered by researchers Rodrigo Moura of Conservation International in Arlington, Va., and Kenyon Lindeman of Environmental Defense.

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

The researchers said 12 species of the family Lutjanidae, including the new discovery, have been identified in the western Atlantic Ocean. They include Lutjanus griseus and Lutjanus apodus, two species restricted to the Caribbean and eastern coast of the United States, but previously believed to occur in Brazilian waters until the discovery of Lutjanus alexandrei.

Moura and Lindeman said their discovery shows the need for more comprehensive studies of Brazil’s reef fish populations.

The new species is named for 18th-century naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira.

The study appeared in the journal Zootaxa.