A new species was discovered in Antarctica and is causing concern in the scientific community. It is a type of dragonfish that is potentially threatened by various factors.
They named it “band” (Akarotaxis gouldae) in honor of the retired research vessel Laurence M. Gould, for its scientific contributions in the region.
## A new species in Antarctica: what it’s like
This animal that appeared in Antarctica is further evidence that something is happening and that may end up surprising us.
The discovery occurred while researchers were collecting zooplankton with trawling nets.
They caught fish larvae in them, which they initially confused with those of another related species, Akarotaxis nudiceps. However, after genetic and DNA analysis, it was confirmed that they were different.
“There are two distinct bands on the sides of the adults of ‘A. gouldae’ that are not present in ‘A. nudiceps’,” explained the lead author of the research, Andrew Corso, after making the comparisons.
“In the world of fish taxonomy, it is becoming common to distinguish species only with genetics,” he said.
“Genetic tests are an extremely valuable tool, but our discovery highlights the importance of the morphology of early life stages and natural history collections like those of VIMS and other institutions,” he added.
The report also highlights that the species is potentially threatened, which is a concern. It produces very few offspring and its habitat is limited to a small area in the western region near the peninsula that is the target of krill fishing.
## Climate change in Antarctica: vegetation appeared
The new species and changes in temperatures are not the only striking images that Antarctica has shown in recent months.
Last year, it was surprising to learn that vegetation appeared in some areas of the continent.
According to satellite images, the vegetation cover of the Antarctic Peninsula has multiplied by more than ten times in the last four decades.
This is accompanied by a warming faster than the global average and extreme heatwaves.
A study conducted by the universities of Exeter and Hertfordshire and the British Antarctic Survey, used satellite data to assess the extent to which the peninsula of the white continent “greened” in response to climate change.
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