Animals

A new fish species has been named after several genetic tests were performed. The goliath grouper can grow up to six feet long and weigh as much as 1,000 pounds. It can be found in the tropical waters near the Eastern Pacific Ocean and feeds on crabs and octopuses.

Until now, scientists had grouped this species with an identical looking fish living in the Atlantic Ocean. “For more than a century, ichthyologists have thought that Pacific and Atlantic goliath grouper were the same species,” said lead researcher Matthew Craig of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, “and the argument was settled before the widespread use of genetic techniques.”

Scientists disagree about how to define the term “species” and what separates species from one another biologically, though some say that a species is a group that can mate with one another and produce offspring that are not sterile. However, this biological definition doesn’t always hold up, for instance, with coyotes and wolves (considered separate species), which can successfully produce fertile offspring. In this study, the scientists relied on differences in the fishes’ genetic codes to establish the separate grouper species.

“In light of our new findings, the Pacific goliath grouper should be treated with separate management and conservation strategies,” said researcher Rachel Graham of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York.