Scientists, hobbyists and nature-lovers around the world identified more than a hundred new species in 2022. Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences, working with their international collaborators, were responsible for 146 such discoveries — like the colorful damselfish Pomacentrus xanthocercus, found living in the eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans.
Scientists, hobbyists and nature-lovers around the world identified more than a hundred new species in 2022. Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences, working with their international collaborators, were responsible for 146 such discoveries — like the colorful damselfish Pomacentrus xanthocercus, found living in the eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans.
Mark Erdmann
Academy research associate Aaron Bauer tripled the number of known Bavayia gecko species from 13 to 41 with his findings this year. The small forest-dwelling geckos live on the islands of New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean.
Academy research associate Aaron Bauer tripled the number of known Bavayia gecko species from 13 to 41 with his findings this year. The small forest-dwelling geckos live on the islands of New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean.
Ross A. Sadlier
Cymatioa cooki, a tiny translucent clam previously thought to be extinct and only known from fossils, was found on the underside of intertidal rocks at Naples Point in Santa Barbara County by Jeff Goddard, a research associate at the University of California Santa Barbara's Marine Science Institute.
Cymatioa cooki, a tiny translucent clam previously thought to be extinct and only known from fossils, was found on the underside of intertidal rocks at Naples Point in Santa Barbara County by Jeff Goddard, a research associate at the University of California Santa Barbara's Marine Science Institute.
Jeff Goddard
Academy researchers Frank Almeda and Ricardo Pacifico identified 13 new flowering plants on the isolated peaks of Brazil's campo rupestre, like the vibrant Microlicia daneui pictured here.
Academy researchers Frank Almeda and Ricardo Pacifico identified 13 new flowering plants on the isolated peaks of Brazil's campo rupestre, like the vibrant Microlicia daneui pictured here.
Ricardo Pacifico
Almeda and Pacifico also found this yellow flowering shrub, named Microlicia prostrata, blooming in the region.
Almeda and Pacifico also found this yellow flowering shrub, named Microlicia prostrata, blooming in the region.
Ricardo Pacifico
The sea star Hippasteria capstonei was observed 1.2 miles (1,982 meters) beneath the waves of the Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The area encompasses 495,189 square miles (1,282,534 square kilometers) in the central Pacific Ocean and spans seven islands and atolls.
The sea star Hippasteria capstonei was observed 1.2 miles (1,982 meters) beneath the waves of the Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The area encompasses 495,189 square miles (1,282,534 square kilometers) in the central Pacific Ocean and spans seven islands and atolls.
Laulima O Ka Moan
A new species of stream toad, Ansonia karen, was discovered in the Tenasserim Hills of western Thailand.
A new species of stream toad, Ansonia karen, was discovered in the Tenasserim Hills of western Thailand.
N. A. Poyarkov
Academy curator of invertebrate zoology Terry Gosliner identified 14 new sea slugs in the Indo-Pacific region. Measuring 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) in length, the colorfully ringed Goniobranchnus fabulus — whose name means "small bean" — was the largest one.
Academy curator of invertebrate zoology Terry Gosliner identified 14 new sea slugs in the Indo-Pacific region. Measuring 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) in length, the colorfully ringed Goniobranchnus fabulus — whose name means "small bean" — was the largest one.
California Academy of Sciences
Gosliner also found this tiny sea slug, named Murphydoris adusta, which is just 0.07 inches (2 millimeters) long. That's about the same width as a strand of spaghetti.
Gosliner also found this tiny sea slug, named Murphydoris adusta, which is just 0.07 inches (2 millimeters) long. That's about the same width as a strand of spaghetti.
California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco Bay Area high school students Harper Forbes and Prakrit Jain conducted fieldwork to find a new scorpion, Paruroctonus soda, in a dry lake bed. This female can be seen carrying 51 juveniles on its back.
San Francisco Bay Area high school students Harper Forbes and Prakrit Jain conducted fieldwork to find a new scorpion, Paruroctonus soda, in a dry lake bed. This female can be seen carrying 51 juveniles on its back.
Prakrit Jain
The Minnesota Mountain onion was found by chance in 2015, during a brief excursion on top of the California peak by researchers on a helicopter trip. Recently, more of this onion was found on nearby Salt Creek Mountain, confirming it as a new species.
The Minnesota Mountain onion was found by chance in 2015, during a brief excursion on top of the California peak by researchers on a helicopter trip. Recently, more of this onion was found on nearby Salt Creek Mountain, confirming it as a new species.
Julie Kierstead
Wafic's Eagle Ray was identified in the Arabian Gulf in the Indian Ocean. The newly-identified ray has been found as bycatch in gillnet fishing, because the rays tend to swim in large groups together, and researchers this year confirmed it as a unique species.
Wafic's Eagle Ray was identified in the Arabian Gulf in the Indian Ocean. The newly-identified ray has been found as bycatch in gillnet fishing, because the rays tend to swim in large groups together, and researchers this year confirmed it as a unique species.
Dave Ebert