World's newest fish species was first spotted in Bohol

Did you know that the latest marine species discovered in the world was first seen in the seas of the Philippines?

According to Kuya Kim's report on "24 Oras," Thursday, the Iniistius bakunawa was spotted by a research assistant named Kent Sorgon in the Loay Public Market in Bohol in 2018.

"We spotted a unique-looking fish. At that time, hindi namin alam kung ano exactly 'yun, pero we collected it," he said.

Residents said that they have long been serving the fish at their dinner tables.

Kent eventually realized, "Hindi pa pala 'to described. Hindi pa talaga siya formally nabibigyan ng pangalan o 'yung mga tinatawag nating mga scientific."

So Kent further studied the fish.

"Ang ginawa namin, nag-contact ng mga museums from US and Japan. We also had the collaborative efforts from the people of UP Mindanao and Mindanao State U," he said.

The newly discovered fish, Iniistius bakunawa, is commonly called eclipse-spot razor wrasse.

Wrasses are one of the most abundant and perhaps the most colorful types of fish found in tropical reefs.

It is also called razor wrasse, cleaver wrasse, and razorfish.

In the country, it is commonly known as mameng or napoleon.

What makes the Iniistius bakunawa differ from other wrasses is its pale yellowish and jade-green flat body.

It also has blue and orange metallic spots on its dorsal fin and a yellowish-green color on the anteromedial portion of its body behind the pectoral fin.

Such fish can grow up to 6.8 inches.

The Iniistius bakunawa fish lives in sandy, grassy areas that are far from coral reefs.

Another noticeable feature of the Iniistius bakunawa is its black and white marking on its dorsal fin, which appears like an eclipse.

The name of the fish was derived from the Visayan mythical creature, Bakunawa.

According to mythology, Bakunawa is a snake-like dragon that swallows the moon, which causes an eclipse.

—Carby Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News