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A newly described species of brown-and-white Philippine butterflyfish--the charismatic Roa rumsfeldi--made a fantastic, 7,000-mile journey before surprising scientists with its unknown status. Live specimens collected from 360 feet beneath the ocean’s surface in the Philippine’s Verde Island Passage escaped special notice until a single black fin spine tipped off aquarium biologists back in San Francisco.
R. rumsfeldi and its close relatives are only known to live in mesophotic “twilight zone” reefs--places where sunlight is scarce and divers with traditional scuba gear cannot safely visit.Image credit: © 2017 Luiz Rocha and the California Academy of Sciences
