The 2015 Top 10 Species list is compiled annually by the International Institute for Species Exploration or IISE. It calls attention to discoveries that are made even as species are going extinct faster than they are identified. Scientists believe 10 million species await discovery, five times the number that are already known to science. IISE founding director Quentin Wheeler says, “The Top 10 is a reminder of the wonders awaiting us.”
Top 10 Species of 2015
9
During Christmas celebrations in Mexico, this newly identified bromeliad, Tillandsia religiosa, is woven into colorful church displays. They flower from December to March. (A. Espejo)
10
The male pufferfish, Torquigener albomaculosus, swims and wiggles in the seafloor sand to create an intricate nest, used only once to attract females. (Yoji Okata)
11
The ridges and grooves of the T. albomaculosus circle serve to minimize ocean current at the center of the nest to protect the eggs from turbulent waters and predators. (Yoji Okata)
