We are discovering 1,451 new-to-science marine creatures annually (four per day), and more than 1,000 fish species every eight years, says the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), a database headquartered in Belgium, believed to have the most comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. According to WoRMS, we know about 228,450 different species of marine animals and plants. More than 200 editors who collaborated with WoRMS found many species names that were entered in the past 250 year as duplicates. Only one snail species, the Rough Periwinkle of Littorina Saxatilis (Littorina) was entered 113 under multiple names. Rough Periwinkle (Littorina. saxatilis) is the champion in misidentification. It has been entered with 113 various names. (Image: Lifewatch) Of the 228,450 marine species known to science today, 86% (195,000) of them are sea animals, including more than 18,000 different species of fish described since the middle of the 18th century, over 1,800 sea stars, 816 squids, 93 dolphins and whales, and 8,900 clams and other bivalves. Other species include types of seaweeds and kelp, as well as bacteria and viruses. Jan Mees (WoRMS Co-chair), Chair of the European Marine Board, Director of VLIZ, Flandres Marine Institute, stated: “Though there are a few fairly minor gaps, we consider this register almost complete in respect to species descriptions throughout scientific history.” This shrimp, Mysidopsis Zsilaveczi, was found off the coast South Africa’s 2014.. The eyes of the star-gazing shrimp are directed upward. (Image: WoRMS) Many species waiting to be described WoRMS estimates that there are at least 10,000 new-to-science species in labs worldwide waiting to be described. Nicolas Bailly, who is a specialist in fish at WoRMS and the Hellenic Center for Marine Research said that it’s amazing to see new species of large marine animals being discovered and documented. A new species of sea Dragon, the ruby-red Phyllopteryx, was added in February 2015,. It was discovered off the coast south of Australia and distinguished by DNA testing from two other species. In 2009., the database was updated with an Indonesian frogfish called Histiophryne psychoedelica. Image: WoRMS. Other fish species that have been discovered in 2008 are a new species in barracuda (Sphyraena Intermedia), an Indonesian frogfish, Histiophryne psychoedelica, with unusual coloured fins, a species of shark (Chlamydoselachus Africana), and a new trout species (Salmo Koottelati) which were found in Turkey.
