A New Fish DROP-ping In

A blenny fish against both a white and black backdrop, where you can see its beautiful color pattern.
(D. Ross Robertson and Carole C. Baldwin)

By diving in the Curasub, Smithsonian researchers with the Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP) have discovered a new species of tiny fish in the biodiversity-rich waters of the southern Caribbean. The fish, a blenny named Haptoclinus dropi, is only around 2 cm in length with a beautiful color pattern that includes iridescence on the fins. Against a white background, it's hard to see the beautiful coloration; but against a dark background, such as that found in deep water, the colors and iridescence stand out easily. Read about more discoveries from the DROP team on the Summer in a Sub blog.

Tags: Smithsonian scientists New discoveries