New species of 'hog-nosed' rat discovered in Indonesia

Victorian scientists have discovered a new mammal, the hog-nosed rat, with features not been seen by science before.
Hyorhinomys stuempkei was previously undocumented in any scientific collection.
The rodent was found by a team of scientists from Museum Victoria, Louisiana State University and the Dutch Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense in a remote, mountainous forest of Mount Dako, on Sulawesi Island in Indonesia.READ MORE-http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/06/new-species-of-hog-nosed-rat-discovered-in-indonesia

New Fish Species Found In the Salish Sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halfbanded rocketfish swimming near purple gorgonian coral. (Photo : Flickr: California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Fish native to the Salish Sea – such as Coho salmon, Pacific halibut and dogfish shark – have some new neighbors to mingle with. The diversity of fish species living in the region has increased by 14 percent, say researchers from the University of Washington who recently documented 253 fish living in this area, 37 of which have recently moved in. The university's report represents the most comprehensive study regarding fish species in the area, and the findings will help conservationists assess and manage fish populations that may be in danger of disappearing.   -READ MORE-
http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/17384/20151009/fish-frenzy-new-species-found-salish-sea-study-shows.htm

From ‘Dracula’ fish to snub-nosed monkeys: New species found in Himalayas

(CNN) — Most people hate rainy weather. It can put a damper on plans and keep you cooped up indoors.
But spare a thought for the Burmese snub-nosed monkey.
The furry fellow often spends rainy days with its head down between its knees because otherwise the water runs into its upturned nose and makes it sneeze.
Hunters in Myanmar’s remote and rugged Kachin state, where the monkeys live, say it’s easy to track them down during a downpour thanks to their bouts of sneezing.READ MORE-http://wtnh.com/2015/10/09/from-dracula-fish-to-snub-nosed-monkeys-new-species-found-in-himalayas/

Scientific Debunkers Make Life Hard for Monsters

With sightings of the Loch Ness monster growing rarer each year, the latest theory among Nessie enthusiasts is that she was a giant catfish.
The species, released into the loch by the Victorians, can survive in frigid waters. If the theory is correct, it will have solved the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster, a popular obsession since the 1930s. That and the fact that a BBC research team scoured the loch in 2003, using satellites and 600 sonar beams, all to no avail.
It’s been a tough few years for the field of cryptozoology, as monster hunting is known in polite circles. Take the kraken, which the medieval Nordics believed could crush a ship with its mighty tentacles. Alfred, Lord Tennyson imagined it as the most primeval of all the terrors of the sea: “Below the thunders of the upper deep, / Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea, / …The Kraken sleepeth.”READ MORE-http://www.wsj.com/articles/scientific-debunkers-make-life-hard-for-monsters-1444230919

WORLDS SMALLEST SEAHORSE?

READ MORE A 13 IN SEAHORSE THOUGHT TO BE THE WORLDS SMALLEST WAS CAUGHT IN POOLE,DORSET BY A FISHERMAN.ITS TWICE THE AVERAGE SIZE AND SMASHES EXISTING RECORD BY ALMOST 2 INS.THE SEAHORSE WAS PHOTOGRAGHED AND MEASSURED THEN RELEASED BACK INTO THE SEA.

Angustopila dominikae-New species of tiny snail found in China

A tiny snail has been discovered in China that is so small 10 of them could fit side-by-side in the eye of a needle!

The Angustopila dominikae is one of seven new species of 'micro-snail found by scientists from Japan's Shinshu University.
Its shell measures in at just 0.86 millimetres, and is possibly the world's smallest land-based snail.
Surprisingly, it is related to the giant African land snail, which is nine million times larger than it.READ MORE

Potentially new species found on excursion to Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

EARL HARBOR (HawaiiNewsNow) -
It may take scientists months before they know exactly what they found on their most recent expedition to the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
That’s because many of the specimens they brought back may be entirely new species.
"Several new species of fish, probably a new species of seahorse, several probable new species of algae, seastars" said Dr. Randy Kosaki, Chief Scientist at PMNM.
The research took place over 27 days, with 20 scientists aboard the research vessel Hi’ialakai.  The areas they were diving to were deep sea mounts some 200-300 feet below the surface.
"Literally we have better maps of the moon than the ocean.  So these are completely unexplored, no one's ever dived on them before" said Kosaki.
Getting that deep isn't easy---regular SCUBA gear won't work.  Instead, the divers used specialized equipment that weighs around 150 pounds.
"It’s very advanced and sophisticated technology that allows us to dive deep and stay at depths for long time" said Research Specialist Daniel Wagner.
Once down there, they saw reefs teeming with life.
"Stunning things, and the thing you notice first is just the amount of big fish.  Apex predators.  Big sharks, big ulua" said Wagner.
And all those potential new species.  The expedition may be over, but in many ways, the work has just begun.
"Now it's going to be a lot of long hours in museum collections, collecting DNA, genetic analyses to confirm these are new species, distinct from any known species" said KosakREAD MORE