Recent News
Ocean Tech Marine Project To Help Save OceansThursday, July 07, 2016
This week, a team of leading scientists, conservationists and media specialists launched a global marine research project called Ocean Tech to help save the world’s oceans, and their first port of call is Bermuda next year.
Building up a head of STEAM
Thursday, July 07, 2016
Secondary students took part in various activities and projects during the second annual STEAM Week at the end of term; each one encouraging students to seek new solutions to complex problems through the five components of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.
Window on an underwater kingdom
Wednesday, July 06, 2016
Bermuda will play host to the first stage of a groundbreaking new research project designed to help save the world’s oceans.
Eight teams line up for ‘Benched 2.0’ event
Monday, July 04, 2016
Eight teams will compete in this year’s Institute of Bermuda Architects “Benched 2.0” event — a design-build contest aimed at students at the high school and university level.
BAMZ Celebrates Grand Re-Opening of Front Entrance and Shop
Friday, July 01, 2016
The legendary Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo announces the debut of its renovated Aquarium Hall and its new retail shop, Scales and Tales. A cocktail hour and an official opening ceremony, showcasing the new setting to invited guests, was held on Thursday, 9th June. The Hon. N. H. Cole Simons, JP, MP, Minister of Environment, was on hand to cut the ribbon and declare the Aquarium Hall, front entrance and shop officially open.
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Latest News
All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!
By Owain Johnston-Barnes
Published Dec. 3, 2013 at 8:00 am (Updated Dec. 2, 2013 at 10:33 pm)
The yellowfin chromis, one of two species recently recognised
as being endemic to Bermuda by the Smithsonian Institution.
A pair of Bermuda fish species have been recognised by the Smithsonian Institution as being unique to Bermuda’s waters.
The yellowfin chromis and the Collette’s halfbeak have been classified as endemic to Bermuda in an update to the authoritative 1999 Fishes of Bermuda publication. Both species have been known in Bermuda’s waters for some time but were only recently determined to be endemic.
Report writers William Smith-Vaniz and Bruce Collette also identified differences between the endemic Bermuda creole wrasse and its Caribbean relatives, suggesting they may also prove to be endemic.
“We recently became aware of two colour photographs, one of a school and the other of a single individual ... of wrasses from Bermuda (Lucas 2012) identified as clepticus parrae,” the researchers wrote.
The Collette’s halfbeak, one of two species recently recognised as being endemic
to Bermuda by the Smithsonian Institution. ((Photo credit to Heidi M. Banford))
“Terminal phase adults are distinctive in having very elongate outer caudal-fin rays, mostly solid blue body and fins and a bright yellow snout. We predict that subsequent research will show these fish to be another Bermuda endemic. All records of clepticus parrae from Bermuda apparently are based on misidentification of this undescribed clepticus.”
They noted the terminal male yellowhead wrasse, called “Redbacks” locally, have different colouration than its counterparts elsewhere in the region.
The Smithsonian also listed several species not previously known to reside in Bermuda, such as the whitenose pipefish, the roughtail stingray, a deepwater opah and blackear wrasse.
A Bermuda Zoological Society spokeswoman said: “In all, 24 new records were listed, and five older records have been discounted as errors, reminding us that we still have much to discover about life on our reefs and that diligent citizen scientists, fishermen and naturalists all have key roles to play.”
The research paper is available at the Natural History Museum Library at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo.