New Fish Species Named Rogadius Azizahae After Professor Dr Siti Azizah

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A TEAM from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) has identified a new species of fish, Rogadius azizahae, found in the South China Sea, marking a significant milestone in marine biodiversity research.
Dr Tun Nurul Aimi Mat Jaafar, from UMT’s Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, shared that the discovery took place during a scientific expedition in June 2016, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries Malaysia.
The team collected specimens off the coasts of Terengganu and Johor as part of the Demersal Fisheries Resources Scientific Expedition within Malaysia’s Eastern Exclusive Economic Zone.
The newly discovered species, which belongs to the flathead family, was later formally recognised by Zootaxa, an international authority on taxonomy. It was officially documented in the Journal of Fish Biology on 4 August 2025.
“These three specimens were found at depths between 53 and 58 metres during the scientific expedition involving UMT researchers, Department of Fisheries officers, and students,” Dr Tun Nurul Aimi said during a press briefing at UMT.
Commonly referred to as Baji Azizah, the fish is relatively small—only about 10 to 11 centimetres in length—and features distinctive dark markings on its pelvic fins, with a semi-translucent white midsection.
According to Dr Tun, the fish’s flat body and brownish hue enable it to blend seamlessly with the ocean floor, making it extremely challenging to spot. “These traits allow the species to camouflage naturally by blending into the deep-sea sand,” she explained.
She added that this find underscores the untapped biodiversity within Malaysian waters, particularly in the South China Sea. “This opens vast opportunities for further research into deep-sea fish communities in Malaysian waters that have yet to be fully explored,” she said.
“In fact, it also paves the way for UMT to strengthen conservation efforts, enhance understanding of marine ecosystems, and reinforce national fisheries resource management policies.”
The species name azizahae was chosen in honour of UMT’s senior research fellow, Professor Dr Siti Azizah Mohd Nor, who has made impactful contributions to molecular ecology and fish biodiversity conservation in Malaysia.
Prof Siti Azizah, who was also present at the press conference, noted that more in-depth studies are planned to better understand the ecological role and characteristics of the species.
“We still don’t know the detailed traits of this fish, but every species and marine life must be protected to ensure the richness of marine biodiversity,” she said.
“A higher biodiversity within an ecosystem is better as it increases resilience, especially in facing global climate change issues that affect both wildlife and humanity,” she added. — Focus Malaysia

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