Discovery of Two New Recorded Species of Fish in Taiwan and in the National Park's Kenting Waters
The Taiwan Ocean Research Institute (TORI)'s Dr. Chen Zheng-ping andthe president of the Chinese Underwater Photography Association Mr. CaiYong-chun discovered an unrecorded Ptereleotridae while diving in Kenting duringFebruary this year. In April, Mr. Lin Qing-zhe from the National Museum ofMarine Biology & Aquarium also discovered a new fish species in Kenting'swaters; after contacting Dr. Chen, it was confirmed to be another new recordedspecies in Taiwan - Pseudalutarius nasicornis. Both species are mainlydistributed in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, but have never beenseen in Taiwan until now.
In April, Mr. Lin Qing-zhe also recorded a new species in the park –Genicanthus. Genicanthus was once recorded in Green Island; the one recordedthis time was a female. The colony usually inhabits reefs near steep slopes; itexhibits the phenomenon of protogynous hermaphrodism. Last year, the KentingNational Park Headquarters commissioned Dr. Chen to conduct an investigation,which in turn recorded a new species in Kenting - Labrichthys unilineatus, aspecies that was only found in Taiwan's Green Island, Lanyu, Dongsha, and Nanshaand mainly inhabits clear water with flourishing coral populations. It isspeculated that the species may have drifted into the waters of Kenting withthe ocean current, and the population is gradually increasing.
Kenting's waters are extremely important for the coral fish species;if the waters can be preserved properly, more species are bound to be discoveredthere in the future.