Scientists from the Bishop Museum, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the Association for Marine Exploration on Wednesday published a description of the new species called "Tosanoides obama," which was discovered during a NOAA expedition to Papahanaumokuakea in June. The small, pink and yellow fish is a type of basslet, which is the only known species of coral-reef fish endemic to the monument, meaning it cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.

What also makes this species special is that in August, President Obama announced the expansion the monument, a historic move that made it the largest permanent marine protected area on Earth. He then visited the monument and even got to see a photo of the fish that now bears his name.