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In a new three-volume book, Reef Fishes of the East Indies, scientists, photgraphers, and co-authors Gerald Allen and Mark Erdmann (below left) document the 2,631 currently known reef fish species from a region they call the "global epicenter of marine biodiversity."
The book includes 3,600 photographs, and information on classification, habitat, and range for each species. According to the authors, who have a combined total of more than 60 years exploring the coastal waters of the East Indies, about 40% of the species they document have never before been seen in print; several of the species are new to science.
Take a look at some of the newly described species in the slide show above.
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