Even though their scales come in a rainbow of bright colors, these fish are found in the shadowy depths off the coast of the Maldives. Meet the rose-veiled fairy wrasse!
This fish had been mistaken for a close relative, the rose-scale fairy wrasse. The two species are similar in size and color. It’s difficult to tell them apart.
But last year, researchers identified the rose-veiled fairy wrasse while studying coral reefs. They noticed that as the fish age, their fin lengths and colors differ from those of their relatives.
The more we learn about these animals, the better we can protect them, explains Ahmed Najeeb. He’s a biologist who studies the fish.