The project marked the first time Taiwan and the US have cooperated in exploring fishery resources in coral reefs in the area, Shao said.

Shao added that Academia Sinica helped finance the project.

"According to our initial judgment, the US divers have collected samples of four new fish species in coral reefs off Green Island," Shao said.

He said that the team has also recorded seven or eight fish species that had previously never been collated.

The species include chromis delta and plectranthias winniensis.