Vibrant, scaly creatures discovered in Alabama river. See colorful new species

A collection of colorful fish that are crimson, turquoise and cream colored have now been identified as two new species in Alabama, according to a recently published study.

One of the study’s authors named the two new species, Etheostoma kimberlae and Etheostoma michellae, after his daughter, Kimberly, and his wife, Michelle, according to the study published April 3 in peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.

The fish were given the common names of the Locust Fork darter and the Sipsey Fork darter after the northern Alabama tributaries where they’re found.

Both species of fish were caught in “geographically restricted” areas of the Black Warrior River System and revealed to be genetically distinct but were previously “masquerading” under the name of another species of fish, according to the study.

Researchers compared these new species to the fish species they were previously believed to be and highlighted their distinctions.

The two species of fish could look pretty similar on first glance, but they have slight variations in color and size.

The Locust Fork darter is slightly bigger, but the fish are both fairly small, each averaging about 1.5 inches long, researchers said.

“Pigmentation patterns and coloration are traits that have long been recognized as a critical set of characteristics for diagnosing species of Etheostomatini,” researchers wrote.

While breeding female fish lack “bright coloration,” the breeding males are known for their vibrant, multicolored scales and stripes, the study said.

The bodies of the male fish are predominantly “cream” colored with “black saddles,” per the study, and they each have a “deep crimson-colored scale row.” They share many similarities, including one mostly turquoise pelvic fin, which is the fin underneath the fish. Their dorsal fins, or the top fin, are red, black and yellow.

The Sipsey Fork darter has a yellow-green fin, with the base being a “reddish hue visible from blood vessels below surface,” according to the study.

Their back fins, called the caudal fin, are mostly turquoise, but the fish have sightly different colored bands, per the study.

The researchers argued the Locust Fork darter is endangered, and the Sipsey Fork darter is threatened, warranting government protection for both.

The study authors were Richard L. Mayden and Bernard R. Kuhajda.