Wakanda forever! Scientists describe new species of 'twilight zone' fish from Africa

JULY 11, 2019

by California Academy of Sciences

Africa has new purple-clad warriors more than 200 feet beneath the ocean's surface. Deep-diving scientists from the California Academy of Sciences' Hope for Reefs initiative and the University of Sydney spotted dazzling fairy wrasses—previously unknown to science—in the dimly lit mesophotic coral reefs of eastern Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania. The multicolored wrasses sport deep purple scales so pigmented, they even retain their color (which is typically lost) when preserved for research. The scientists name this "twilight zone" reef-dweller Cirrhilabrus wakanda (common name "Vibranium Fairy Wrasse") in honor of the mythical nation of Wakanda from the Marvel Entertainment comics and movie Black Panther. The new fish is described today in ZooKeys.

"When we thought about the secretive and isolated nature of these unexplored African reefs, we knew we had to name this new species after Wakanda," says Yi-Kai Tea, lead author and ichthyology Ph.D. student from the University of Sydney. "We've known about other related fairy wrasses from the Indian Ocean, but always thought there was a missing species along the continent's eastern edge. When I saw this amazing purple fish, I knew instantly we were dealing with the missing piece of the puzzle."

Continued

Hope for one of the world's rarest primates: First census of Zanzibar Red Colobus monkey

Three times as many as assumed, but population in decline

Date:  December 14, 2017

Source:  Wildlife Conservation Society

Summary:

A team of scientists recently completed the first-ever range-wide population census of the Zanzibar red colobus monkey (Piliocolobus kirkii) an endangered primate found only on the Zanzibar archipelago off the coast of East Africa.

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Creation of an island: The extinction of animals on Zanzibar

Date: February 23, 2016

Source: University of York

Researchers at the University of York have been part of the first comprehensive study of how Zanzibar was formed, charting the extinction of various animals from the island.

In a collaborative project between environmental scientists and archaeologists, a team charted the history of sea level change by examining mangrove sediments, and conducting analysis on animal remains found in Kuumbi Cave -- an important archaeological site.

Focusing on evidence from three distinct time periods -- the end of the last Ice Age, the stage when Zanzibar became an island 11,000 years ago, and the time of being an island -- researchers found that numerous large mammals had disappeared by the latter stage.

Analysing over 6000 bone specimens, it was found that large fauna such as zebra, buffalo, waterbuck and gazelle were present in the time of island formation. However, after sea levels had risen and the island had been inhabited by coastal cultures, they disappeared. Other small fauna, such as porcupines and hares, were also no longer present.

Insights into sea level changes, combined with archaeological data on the history of the island's fauna through excavation, has never been done before in charting Zanzibar's history. This unique interdisciplinary approach provides a new, accurate account of the island's prehistory and defaunation.

Continued ...

More than 1000 ivory tusks seized in Tanzania

Authorities in Zanzibar reported the seizure of 1041 ivory tusks August 2011. Police in Zanzibar have seized 1,041 elephant tusks hidden in a shipment heading for Malaysia, according to media reports. The consignment was reported to have been offloaded at Zanzibar two weeks previously, where it arrived from Dar Es Salaam, and had been stored near Stone Town. Two local transport agents are being held by police for further questioning.

The ivory was hidden in a container of anchovies, where the strong smell would have discouraged an investigation of its contents. A similar modus operandi was used last year, when authorities in Hong Kong seized 384 elephant tusks in September, packed into two containers shipped from Zanzibar and labelled as dried fish.

Zanzibar Port
Following that seizure, in discussions with the Tanzanian government, TRAFFIC called for better law enforcement focus on the port of Zanzibar.

"TRAFFIC applauds the Tanzanian officials for apprehending this latest seizure and we are delighted they are zeroing in on the port of Zanzibar as a major conduit for contraband wildlife products," said Tom Milliken, TRAFFIC's Elephant & Rhino Programme Co-ordinator.

Milliken manages the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS), the illegal ivory trade monitoring system that TRAFFIC runs on behalf of Parties to CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). ETIS holds the details of nearly 17,000 reported ivory and other elephant product seizures that have taken place anywhere in the world since 1989.

Tanzania a major link on ivory smuggling chain
According to the ETIS data, Tanzania has been implicated in more large flows of ivory than any other country-a total of 21 of the 83 largest (>800 kg) ivory seizures to date. This is the first large-scale seizure that Tanzania has made itself since 2007 and only the second large seizure since 2002, although many smaller seizures have been made during this period.

Between 1989 and 2002, Tanzania made 10 large seizures (some 18.7 tonnes of ivory) before they were illegally exported, and no other large seizures were made elsewhere in the world during this period that implicated Tanzania, indicating a very good law enforcement record for the country.

But from 2003 through 2010, 10 further large seizures originating from Tanzania (totalling 28.6 tonnes) were made in Asia (Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan and Viet Nam), and only one large seizure (890 kg) was made inside Tanzania.

"The authorities in Tanzania appear to be making a welcome return to the pro-active law enforcement record they established throughout the 1990s," said Milliken. "As the country with the second largest elephant population in Africa, it's vitally important that Tanzania demonstrates good law enforcement, not only in terms of interdiction, but also subsequent investigation, arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the crime.

At least 500 elephants killed
Milliken added "The seizure represents a minimum of 500 dead elephants so it's essential to find out who was behind the killings and how come the ivory got as far as it did."

Overall, illegal trade in elephant ivory has been increasing in Africa since 2004.

A report tabled at last week's CITES Standing Committee noted: "the eastern Africa sub-region has consolidated its position as the primary exit point for illicit ivory leaving the African continent, with Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania as prominent countries of origin or export in the trade, despite significant seizures being made in Kenya in recent times."

Malaysia a key player in ivory trade
The role of Malaysia in illicit ivory flows has also been identified through analysis of ETIS data. According to the most recent full analysis, published in 2009: "Malaysia has progressively gained prominence in successive ETIS analyses as a transit country for African ivory."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tanzania-ivory.html