A newly discovered bright red fish species could fill the Grumpy Cat-sized hole in the internet’s heart. This new species is named Sueviota aethon, but goes by the common name grumpy dwarfgoby. The creature looks like it is in a state of permanent displeasure, and was discovered by a team of researchers from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the University of Washington. The new fish is described in a study published September 12 in the journal ZooKeys.
The grumpy dwarfgoby is less than one inch long, but still boasts a menacing demeanor and was found in the Farasan Banks in the Red Sea off Saudi Arabia.
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“I imagine in its own tiny world, it is a fearsome predator,” Lucía Pombo-Ayora, a study co-author and King Abdullah University ecologist who named this species, said in a statement. “Its grumpy expression and large canines certainly make it look the part, despite its small size.”
It can be found along the walls and overhangs of coral reefs. Its bright red color actually helps it blend into its natural habitat, which is covered in red coralline algae. It lives in small holes and tiny crevices in the reef, where it uses its large canines to capture and eat small invertebrates. According to the team, the dwarfgoby appears to be a relatively rare species. This is potentially why it remained undiscovered until now.
Study co-author and ecologist Viktor Nunes Peinemann first found it during a diving expedition to explore reef fish biodiversity in the area. Initially, the team initially thought that they had rediscovered the fiery dwarfgoby (Sueviota pyrios). This similar fish is only known from a single specimen that was collected in 1972. Closer examination revealed that they had indeed found an entirely new, undescribed species.
“The ongoing discovery of distinctive new species like this grumpy dwarfgoby shows how much biodiversity remains undiscovered in the Red Sea,” Nunes Peinemann said in a statement. “This is concerning given the recent environmental changes in the region. In some cases, species could go extinct before we even describe them.”
[Related: Mass extinction 183 million years ago offers dire warning for modern oceans.]
This area is known for high levels of endemic species that are only found in a very specific geographic area including the Red Sea anemonefish and picasso triggerfish. Of the roughly 2,100 known species of fish in the Red Sea, 10 to 15 percent aren’t found anywhere else on Earth. The grumpy dwarf goby is now another addition to this unique crew.
Much of the Red Sea has seen some major disturbances due to climate change, including some widespread coral bleaching and mortality. According to the team, new species still being discovered in this rapidly changing environment highlights the urgency of more research and conservation efforts in the area.
