New Shrimp-Goby Species Discovered off Banyuwangi Coast
- 20 Jul 2026 16:23 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- BRIN researchers discovered and described a new shrimp-goby species, Tomiyamichthys oriens sp. nov., in the coastal waters of Banyuwangi.
- The discovery confirmed through morphological and DNA analysis underscores Indonesia’s rich marine biodiversity and supports future conservation efforts.
RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) have identified a new species of shrimp-goby off the coast of Banyuwangi, East Java, naming it Tomiyamichthys oriens sp. nov.
The species was confirmed through an integrative taxonomy approach, according to Kunto Wibowo, a researcher at BRIN’s Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution.
“We combined morphological characters with DNA analysis to obtain comprehensive evidence. The results showed that T. oriens possesses consistent characteristics distinct from its closest relatives, making it worthy of designation as a new species,” Kunto said in a statement released in Jakarta on Monday, July 20, 2026, as quoted by Antara.
Morphologically, T. oriens is distinguished by five large, bright orange blotches along its body, small yellow spots on its head, and two elongated filaments on the first dorsal fin of male specimens, setting it apart from other species within the genus Tomiyamichthys.
The specific epithet oriens derives from the Latin word for “east” or “sunrise.” The name reflects the fish’s bright orange coloration while paying homage to Banyuwangi’s moniker, “The Sunrise of Java.”
“The naming of this species also recognizes its discovery location. We hope this finding triggers further research to uncover Indonesia’s vast marine biodiversity,” Kunto added.
Field data indicate that T. oriens inhabits shallow coastal waters with sandy substrates around Banyuwangi.
Local fishers reported collecting the species in shallow areas, though researchers noted that its ecological symbiosis with alpheid shrimps, typical of the shrimp-goby family, requires further study.
The discovery has been formally published in the peer-reviewed international taxonomy journal ZooKeys (Volume 1283, 2026) in a paper titled “Tomiyamichthys oriens, a new species of shrimpgoby (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from the coast of Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia.”
BRIN emphasized that it continues to expand its biosystematics research framework to establish scientific baselines supporting marine conservation, environmental management, and sustainable biodiversity policies across the Indonesian archipelago. ***
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