Newly discovered coral-reef fish named after Obama

A new species of small pink and yellow coral-reef fish discovered 300 feet deep in the waters off Kure Atoll in the Pacific ocean has been named after the US President Barack Obama.

The fish, named Tosanoides obama, was discovered during an expedition in June this year to Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

“We decided to name this fish after President Obama to recognise his efforts to protect and preserve the natural environment, including the expansion of Papahanaumokuakea,” said Richard Pyle, scientist at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Bishop Museum. “This expansion adds a layer of protection to one of the last great wilderness areas on Earth,” said Pyle. The small pink and yellow fish is a kind of basslet, a group that includes many colorful reef fishes.