A young marine scientist has made an exciting discovery off the coast of Albany in Western Australia. While diving in a kelp forest, she spotted a tiny, brightly coloured fish that is so rare; it has only been officially recorded once since it was first identified in 1996.
The fish is called Braun’s wrasse, or Pictilabrus brauni. It does not live anywhere else in the world. In fact, it has one of the smallest home ranges of any temperate fish species in Australia. Scientists have only seen it in a few places along Western Australia’s southwest coast, mainly near Albany. The last confirmed scientific record of the species was made in 2009.
Océane Attlan, a PhD student from the UWA Oceans Institute, made the recent sighting. She was diving with four other researchers from the Wernberg Lab as part of a four-day research trip. Their goal was to study changes in local marine life after several marine heatwaves affected the region recently.
These heatwaves raised fears among scientists that Braun’s wrasse might have disappeared completely. The fish is tiny, growing to less than 7.5 centimetres long, and it is known for being shy and difficult to spot. Some experts expressed concern that it might have become extinct due to its absence for many years.
Ms Attlan explained that she was not even searching for the rare fish at the time. She was carrying out a normal fish survey in the kelp forest when the tiny wrasse suddenly appeared. At first, she could hardly believe what she was seeing. It took her a few seconds to realise that there was something very special.
She became very excited, but there was one problem. On that particular dive, she did not have a camera with her. She quickly looked for a teammate who could take photographs before the fish disappeared. Luckily, Dr Albert Pessarrodona, who was diving nearby, managed to take two quick photos before the fish slipped back into the thick kelp. After returning from the dive, the team uploaded the photos to an online fish identification platform. Experts, including curators from the Western Australian Museum and a Tasmanian researcher who had last recorded the species in 2009, confirmed that the fish was indeed Braun’s wrasse.
The Great Southern Reef includes the kelp forest where the fish found its home. This enormous reef system stretches about 8,000 kilometres along Australia’s southern coastline, from Kalbarri in Western Australia all the way to New South Wales. It is made up of rocky reefs covered in kelp and seaweed. Ms Attlan said this discovery shows how rich and diverse the Great Southern Reef really is. Even though it is large and productive, it is not as well-known as Australia’s tropical coral reefs. Yet it is home to many species that exist nowhere else on Earth. Its location makes it very important for global biodiversity.
She also explained that rare species like Braun’s wrasse may be missed simply because there are not enough marine ecologists to study such a long and remote coastline. Large areas of reef are rarely surveyed. Some species may still be there, hidden by excellent camouflage or living in places scientists do not often visit.
During the same research trip, the team also found a sea snail 500 kilometres further south than it had ever been recorded before, along with another uncommon fish species. These findings indicate that there is still much to uncover in these waters. Ms Attlan stressed that fieldwork and diving surveys are essential for understanding marine ecosystems. As climate change continues to affect ocean temperatures, ongoing research will be critical to protect these unique underwater environments for the future.
