First Discovery of a New Native Fish Species in Korea: Ttibyeolbaragi

Pukyong National University Research Team Reports First Discovery of Subtropical Gobiidae Fish in Korea

A new species of fish belonging to the family Creediidae, which has never before been reported worldwide, has been discovered in Korea, drawing attention as an important study for securing sovereignty over biological resources.

A new species of the family Limnichthyidae discovered in Korea, 'Ddibyeolbaragi (Limnichthys koreanus)'.

Lee Yujin, a researcher at the National Pukyong University (Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Marine Biology), published the new species "Limnichthys koreanus" in the October issue of a renowned international zoological journal. The title of the paper is "Limnichthys koreanus, a new species of creediid fish (Teleostei, Acropomatiformes, Creediidae) from Korea" (supervising professor Kim Jingu).

The newly reported Limnichthys koreanus is a small fish less than 5 cm in length, collected by Professor Kim Jingu through skin diving at Moseulpo, Jeju Island. This is the first time that a subtropical creediid fish has been reported in Korea. The Creediidae family had never been reported in Korea before, making it a taxonomic group with no related biological information in the country.

After raising Limnichthys koreanus in a laboratory tank for three months, Lee Yujin found that the fish usually hides in sand and gravel, but when small crustaceans such as amphipods approach, it darts out at incredible speed to snatch its prey before quickly returning to its original position. The species also has a heart rate of 190-240 beats per minute, enabling it to move with remarkable speed for such a small fish.

The research team nearly lost the newly discovered species due to an unexpected incident. After Professor Kim Jingu first collected the species and placed it in a container with other specimens, it could not be found when checked outside the water. However, when Lee Yujin returned to the accommodation and shook the container to check the specimens, a Schizopygopsis fish in the container regurgitated the undigested Limnichthys koreanus, allowing the team to confirm the new species and proceed with the publication.

Professor Kim Jingu stated, "Limnichthys koreanus is a small fish species that lives hidden in the sand and gravel of shallow intertidal zones at depths of 1-2 meters in Moseulpo, Jeju Island. Since it is found only in Jeju Island, Korea, further studies for species conservation and various efforts to protect its habitat are necessary."

Professor Kim Jingu has operated the marine fish resources depository and registration institution under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries for 11 years. With budget support from the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, he has reported this new species of Limnichthys koreanus and has been dedicated to the assetization of marine fish resources, successfully securing specimens of over 800 native fish species to date. The Limnichthys koreanus specimen has been transferred to the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea for ongoing research.