The Great Barrier Reef offers us a very beautiful marine treasure. Indeed, a rare treat was filmed there. Explanations.
It was on the occasion of a snorkeling excursion at the level of the Great Barrier Reef that marine biologist Jorja Gilmore spotted this rare regalecided, elongated and thin like an A4 sheet. To identify this specimen, she enlisted Tahn Miller, the reef’s master guide, as reported by theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
“At first I mightn’t tell what kind of fish it was, but then I saw the shining mercury-colored body, the two prominent eyes and the ultra-thin dorsal fin running head to tail, rippling like mini-waves propelling themselves through the water”explained to 9News Tahn Miller. “I knew we had stumbled upon something rarely seen on the Great Barrier Reef. Fortunately, I had my camera and started filming right away. »
It is finally Tyson Roberts, former research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and regalecid expert, who confirmed that the fish is a young Royal Russellan often elusive species of regalecid found in the depths of the ocean. “This is the first record of this species from the Great Barrier Reef and the east coast of Australia”Tyson Roberts told ABC.
The concluding expert: “There have been other regalecids recorded from southeastern Australia, but this is the species Regalecus glesne, which lives in cold water and has two dorsal fin ridges above the head, different from the individual spotted at Opal Reef. It’s amazing that the ocean still has secrets to reveal, just when you think you’ve seen it all, the magic happens. There were regarding 40 people in the water that day and we were all very lucky to experience this discovery. »