Rediscovery - Page 2 of 5

Wiederentdeckung: Killifisch Moema claudiae

Tiny, vividly colored and almost lost: Moema claudiae — shown here as a male (top, 3.8 cm) and a female (bottom, 3.6 cm) — was rediscovered in 2024 after more than 20 years. This killifish species grows to only about four centimeters and survives in temporary rainy-season pools of the Bolivian Amazon region. (© Drawert & Litz (2025), Nature Conservation, CC BY 4.0)

17. November 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

“Lost Beauty”: Fish thought extinct rediscovered after 20 years

When researchers examined an inconspicuous, shallow pond on the edge of a remote remnant forest in Bolivia in spring 2024, they had no idea that right there—beneath leaves, gray mud and surrounded by vast agricultural land—they would find a species many already believed to be extinct: Moema claudiae, a seasonal

Bismarck kingfisher (Ceyx websteri) rediscovered

The Bismarck kingfisher, long considered lost, was documented on New Ireland in May 2025. (© Kai Squires, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

13. September 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

Rediscovery: Rare kingfisher reappears after 13 years

The Bismarck kingfisher (Ceyx websteri) was considered lost for almost 13 years. Since the last confirmed record in 2012, the species had gone unobserved, raising fears that it might already be extinct. In May 2025, however, the species was confirmed again in Papua New Guinea: researcher John Lamaris documented a

Segelflossen-Glatthai (Gogolia filewoodi) - Männchen, 73 cm

First ever documented male of the sailback houndshark, caught near the Gogol estuary in 2022. The extremely long-based first dorsal fin makes the species unmistakable. Its very large, elliptical eyes are also striking. (© Sagumai et al. (2025), Journal of Fish Biology, doi:10.1111/jfb.70196, CC BY 4.0)

29. August 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

Rediscovery off Papua New Guinea: The sailback houndshark is back

One of the rarest shark species in the world has reappeared off the coast of Papua New Guinea after more than 50 years: the sailback houndshark (Gogolia filewoodi). A WWF team led by marine biologist Jack Sagumai documented a total of six specimens near the mouth of the Gogol River

Lipochromis (Haplochromis) microdon Wiederentdeckung

Haplochromis microdon, an endemic cichlid from Lake Victoria, was considered lost for decades. The species can reach a length of up to 14.8 cm and is one of the specialized fish fry predators in the lake's ecosystem. (© Dr. Anna Mahulu, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern)

11. May 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

Lost in Lake Victoria: Cichlid Haplochromis microdon rediscovered after 40 years

For decades, it was considered lost—perhaps even extinct. But now there is new hope for Haplochromis microdon, an endemic cichlid species from Lake Victoria: As reported by the organization SHOAL in an article by Anna Mahulu, the species was detected for the first time since 1985 during targeted research expeditions

Eyprepocprifas insularis Monte Gordo grasshopper

A male Monte Gordo grasshopper, photographed in January 2023. The rare species was last recorded in 1980 and was considered extinct thereafter. Males reach a body length of around two centimetres, while females can grow to over three centimetres. (© Rob Felix, from: Felix et al. (2025), Journal of Orthoptera Research, CC BY 4.0)

8. May 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

Rediscovery on São Nicolau: the Monte Gordo grasshopper is no longer considered extinct

After more than four decades without a single confirmed record, it was considered extinct. But in January 2023, Dutch entomologists Rob Felix and Annelies Jacobs made a surprising discovery in Monte Gordo Natural Park on the Cape Verde island of São Nicolau: in the beam of their flashlight, a grasshopper

Alsodes vittatus with a dorsal stripe, photographed during the rediscovery. (© Correa, Riveros-Riffo & Donoso 2025, ZooKeys)

10. March 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

Alsodes vittatus: Rare frog species rediscovered in Chile after 130 years

For more than a century it was considered lost, but now it is back: Alsodes vittatus, an endemic amphibian species from Chile, has been rediscovered in the Región de La Araucanía. There had been no confirmed sightings of this rare frog species for around 130 years. Its rediscovery could not

The grasshopper species Appalachia hebardi, long believed to be extinct, is flightless, measures about 2.5 to 3.8 centimeters in length, and has so far been recorded in only three U.S. states. (© Nicholas Gilchenok, courtesy of the photographer, via iNaturalist)

11. February 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

USA: Appalachian grasshopper thought to be extinct rediscovered

In Augusta County, Virginia, USA, an interesting discovery was made: The Appalachian grasshopper (Appalachia hebardi), a species belonging to the family of Acrididae that had been considered extinct for decades, has been rediscovered. The last confirmed sighting of this rare species dates back—depending on the source—either to the 1960s or

rediscovered in Peru: Sira barbet and Peruvian solitaire

The Sira barbet, which had not been documented for twelve years, was tracked down during an expedition in July 2024. Its striking red breast band and contrasting plumage make it an unmistakable inhabitant of Peru’s Sira Mountains. (© Michael G. Harvey/Cornell University, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

6. February 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

Two lost birds rediscovered in Peru: Sira barbet and Peruvian solitaire

The Search for Lost Birds project has set itself the task of tracking down “lost” bird species that have not been documented in the wild for more than a decade. These species—without recent genetic or photographic evidence and without ex situ populations—are often considered lost to science. According to a

The first photograph of the snakehead fish Channa amphibeus. The species was already considered extinct after it had not been recorded since the early 20th century. (© Photo Credits: X/ @ranjeetnature)

1. February 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

India: Lost Borna snakehead rediscovered after 85 years

The Borna snakehead Channa amphibeus, also known as the Chel snakehead, has been rediscovered in India’s Himalayan region. The species was regarded as one of the rarest and hardest-to-find snakehead species in the world, and scientists had already suspected that it was extinct. A research team led by Jayasimhan Praveenraj

Omilteme cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus insonus) rediscovered

23. January 2025 Doreen Fräßdorf

Mexico: Omilteme cottontail rediscovered after more than 120 years

The organization Re:wild announced that the Omilteme cottontail (Sylvilagus insonus), a species lost for more than a century, has been rediscovered in Mexico’s Sierra Madre del Sur. This find is of great significance for conservation and research. A team led by José Alberto Almazán-Catalán, president of the Instituto para el