Animal lists are constantly fluctuating, we hear that species change status to ‘vulnerable’ or ‘endangered’ depending on the health of their populations. But just as this discouraging news is broadcast, there is also the opposite case, where there are new species discovered or rediscovered and in 2022 there is a list that gives us hope.
Small dart fish
We are only a few days into 2022 but the animal conservation community is celebrating, as the Ohio Division of Wildlife (OWD) announced that a species has been rediscovered in its seas. This is the small long-headed dart fish that was considered extinct for more than 80 years.
The species, endemic to Ohio, was considered extirpated, that is, locally extinct, since 1939. Which means that in more than 80 years no sightings of the darter fish were reported. However, new reports suggest that the species is not extinct and, on the contrary, returned to the lands of Ohio.
dart fish
The small darter fish lives in different regions of the United States such as New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and has now returned to Ohio. However, its status in all states is ‘threatened’, so conservation efforts are required to prevent its extinction.
blanket octopus
Manta are perhaps the most beautiful octopods that exist, but it is very difficult to see a specimen because they are extremely rare and it was also believed for a long time that they were extinct. But in early 2022, marine biologist Jacinta Shackleton was fortunate enough to experience a manta octopus sighting off the coast of the Great Barrier Reef.
blanket octopus
Shackleton shared photographs of the specimen on his social networks and explained to The Guardian that biologists had only seen three other specimens of this species near the site. They are extremely rare, in fact the first blanket octopus was observed for the first time in 2002. In 2021 they were able to observe a female and now in 2022 another female specimen.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jacinta Shackleton • Ocean (@jacintashackleton)
These are some of those in 2022. But it is expected that as the year goes by, new names will be added to the list because we remember that we do not have a complete vision of the tree of life. We only know the species to which we have access, but in the depths of the ocean or deep in the forests there may be creatures never before discovered.