Fiery-red coral species discovered in the Peruvian Pacific

Fiery-red coral species discovered in the Peruvian Pacific

 A new coral species, Psammogorgia hookeri,  was collected by scuba divers from rocky ledges at depths to 25 meters in Peru's Paracas National Reserve in 2014. Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the University of Costa Rica have named the coral after Yuri Hooker, a biologist and naturalist at the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University in Lima, Peru.

The corals' form hand-sized colonies which are slightly smaller than the colonies of their closest relative. The coral was also found attached to mussels at a local fish market.

 The new species is thought to be endemic to the area meaning it is found nowhere else in the world. However Peru’s Coral Reefs have never been systematically and thoroughly studied.

25 new species of coral have been found so far in the Pacific. Most specimens from this area are over 90 years old.

Yuri Hooker says "With logistical support from the Peruvian National Protected Areas Service, we're beginning to discover the amazing biodiversity of corals and marine invertebrates in the Peruvian Pacific"

The discovery of this new species highlights the importance of Peru's still largely unexplored marine protected areas.