Kona cave reveals new species of fish

Kona cave reveals new species of fish

By Rod Thompson

Source: star bulletin

9/11/2007

KAILUA-KONA » Marine biologist Marc Hughes was about 100 feet into the dark recesses of an underwater South Kona cave in July when he saw what he had looked for since 1998: an unusual brown fish about 6 inches long.

With a flash of his hand, he scooped it up and put it in a pocket. "I was a scuba guide for years. You learn how to catch your fish," he said.

Shortly after Hughes made his catch, tropical fish authority John E. Randall at the Bishop Museum confirmed that Hughes had found a new species in the genus Grammonus.

Hughes informally announced the discovery last week as a means of giving recognition, and hopefully protection, to other sea creatures along the Kona coast that could be threatened by development.

Formal recognition of the fish, including bestowing a new species name, will take about a year, said Randall, who is writing a scientific paper on the discovery.

Hughes holds a degree in marine science and conservation biology from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He takes the word "conservation" in that title seriously.

"This shows there's a very good chance that there are other species that we haven't discovered," he said.