Divers in the sounds of Fiordland National Park have been given a rare treat – an encounter with the most recently discovered species of sunfish.
The sea creature, which was given the scientific name of mola tecta in 2017, is the first new species to be named in 100 years.
Environment Southland divers had been removing an invasive seaweed from the Breaksea Sound when they made the discovery.
"I just felt something above me, you know when you have that feeling, especially with something big," diver Pauline Dusseau said.
"We do know that they are not easy to come across so we knew that that footage will be interesting."
It was the first time the marine biologist saw the rare sunfish in the flesh – and it was all captured on video.
"It looks scratched up so I wonder whether it has been somehow in a stranding situation," sunfish researcher Marianne Nyegaard said.
Currently, information about the sunfish is limited. It's hoped footage will help researchers learn more about the sea creature.
"There is this misperception that sunfish are clumsy and they can't really navigate and they just kind of, you know, float willy nilly around in the ocean," Nyegaard said.
"That is completely and utterly wrong – they're very, very agile – but that's only recently that we've actually been able to see that."
The encounter may never have happened if it wasn’t for the biosecurity work through Jobs for Nature programme, which was due to finish this month, the regional council said.
"Environment Southland recognises how important this work is and we've allocated funding to continue this work over the next financial year," Environment Southland's Kathryn McLachlan said.
Dusseau said the divers "definitely want to keep going there" to collect more footage and information on the elusive species.
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