Lucknow, Sept. 10 -- A blue-green reef fish that has been traded across the world for decades under a single scientific name has now been found to comprise two distinct species, with scientists from the Lucknow's ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR) identifying and describing a new species from the Indian Ocean. "The newly described species, Chromis veneta sp. nov., closely resembles the familiar blue-green Chromis, Chromis viridis, in its striking blue-green colour. However, detailed genetic and morphological studies revealed several differences between the two, including body shape, pigmentation, fin margins, caudal-fin structure, dentition, gill-raker counts and the structure of their sagittal otoliths," the institute said in a statement. According to the central institute, the species has also been recorded from Indonesia, Madagascar, Fiji and Lizard Island in Australia's Great Barrier Reef, indicating that its actual distribution could be considerably wider than currently documented. Dr Kajal Chakraborty, director, ICAR-NBFGR, said the discovery had revealed a hidden dimension of reef biodiversity. A fish long considered a single species has now turned out to contain a previously unrecognised species, potentially changing how one of the world's popular damselfishes is identified, conserved and traded. In India, the new species has been confirmed from Lakshadweep and the Gulf of Mannar, researchers said. The findings have been published in the international journal Frontiers in Marine Science. Interestingly, the discovery emerged from research aimed not at finding a new species but at addressing a conservation challenge in Lakshadweep. Blue-green damselfishes have traditionally been used as live bait for yellowfin tuna fishing in the islands. Seeking sustainable alternatives, ICAR-NBFGR scientists began captive-breeding research and reported experimental success in 2024 in the journal Aquaculture. As the research progressed, scientists combined genetic and morphological analyses and found that what had long been identified as Chromis viridis actually represented two species....