A joint research team from the Marine Ecology and Conservation Research Center of the National Academy of Marine Research (NAMR) and the Institute of Marine Biology at National Taiwan Ocean University (NTU) has made a groundbreaking discovery in the waters around Taiping Island, the southernmost territory of Taiwan. During a survey of cryptobenthic fish species, the team identified a new Gobiidae, or goby, species, which they have named "Fusigobius taipinensis" in honor of its discovery location. The species will soon be officially published in the international taxonomy journal Zootaxa, adding to Taiwan's already impressive tally of highly diverse fish species and underscoring the ongoing achievements of marine ecological research on Taiping Island.
      Professor Yi-hsiung Chen from NTU's Institute of Marine Biology noted that gobies constitute the largest family of fish, with over 2,000 species globally and more than 260 species recorded in Taiwan. Spindle gobies are typically found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, inhabiting sandy areas near rocky and coral reefs as small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling fish. The newly named Fusigobius taipinensis is a cryptic species residing in coral reef zones, making it difficult to detect. After conducting detailed comparisons with existing fish taxonomic data from Taiwan and the South China Sea, the research team employed morphological and molecular evidence to distinguish this species from closely related spindle gobies, confirming its status as a new species.
      The Fusigobius taipinensis is the sixth species of spindle goby identified in Taiwan's waters. It has been observed to inhabit coral reef zones at depths of 5 to 20 meters around Taiping Island, with rare occurrences recorded in the waters near Xiaoliuqiu off southwestern Taiwan. Adults are about 3–6 cm in length, with a translucent body featuring numerous small yellow spots and two small deep black circular spots on their dorsal fin, distinct from the coloration of other spindle goby species. Chih-wei Chang, Director of NAMR's Marine Ecology and Conservation Research Center, shared insights into the fascinating history of fish surveys around Taiping Island. He noted that NTU's team had conducted sporadic fish surveys in the area as early as 1994. During these surveys, they collected an unprecedented goby species living in a symbiotic relationship with snapping shrimp, which was later published in 2006 under the name "Amblyeleotris taipinensis." Since 2022, NAMR has collaborated with NTU to conduct comprehensive fish surveys around Taiping Island, culminating in the identification and naming of another goby species unique to the area this year. Both goby species rely on the coral reef habitats of Taiping Island, underscoring the need to prioritize ecological conservation in these waters to protect their critical habitats.
      NAMR President Jiahn-horng Chen highlighted the significance of Taiping Island as Taiwan's southernmost territory and the largest natural island in the South China Sea, renowned for its rich biodiversity. However, due to its remote location over 1,600 kilometers from Taiwan, comprehensive ecological surveys and monitoring of its waters have historically been scarce. Thanks to funding from the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) and unwavering logistical support from the Coast Guard Administration (CGA), NAMR established the Nansha Marine Station in late 2020. Over the past three years, the research station has facilitated foundational ecological surveys and active collaborations with academic institutions domestically and internationally. In 2021, NAMR partnered with the Biodiversity Research Center of Academia Sinica to conduct coral reef ecological surveys around Taiping Island. These surveys revealed a significant outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish, a threat to the coral ecosystem. In response, the Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) collaborated with Academia Sinica to remove the starfish and initiated two years of continuous marine ecological monitoring to prevent further outbreaks. This successful collaboration underscores the critical importance of conducting baseline ecological surveys across Taiwan's marine territories.