Flashy fish species discovered in remote Brazilian archipelago

What’s a fish gotta do to get noticed around here?

A new species of fish — a trippy yellow and pink creature that looks like it belongs at a Grateful Dead show — was discovered near the remote Brazilian island chain Saint Paul Archipelago, scientists said Tuesday.

The psychedelic swimmer, named Tosanoides Aphrodite after the Greek goddess of beauty, was found at a depth of 400 feet by researchers from the California Academy of Sciences, according to Phys.org.

Divers were so entranced by its neon tie-dyed look that they didn’t notice the 10-foot shark hovering above them, video footage shows.

As for the reef fish, which is about the size of a car key, it went unnoticed for centuries because it swims in deep waters.

“Red light doesn’t penetrate to these dark depths, rendering the fishes invisible unless illuminated by a light like the one we carry while diving,” said post-doctoral fellow Dr. Hudson Pinheiro, who is studying the fish.

The males of the species have highlighter-hued pink and yellow stripes, while females are a solid, blood-orange color. Scientists measured the creature’s spine and tested its DNA to determine that it hadn’t yet been discovered.

“This is one of the most beautiful fishes I’ve ever seen,” says Dr. Luiz Rocha, the co-leader of the Hope for Reefs initiative. “It was so enchanting it made us ignore everything around it.”

A description of the new fish was first published Monday in the biology journal ZooKeys.

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