Hundreds of new species identified in Australia

More than 750 new native species were identified last year as the Albanese Government invests $2 million to support further taxonomy research.

Among the new species added to the Australian National Species List in 2023 were the Western Laughing Tree Frog, which laughs rather than croaks, an intertidal marine worm named after Sir David Attenborough, and an orb spider named after Tom Hardy’s Marvel character, Venom.

Many of these new animal, plant and fungi species were identified and classified as part of 10 projects funded under the Australian Biological Resources Study’s National Taxonomy Research Grant Program (NTRGP) in 2023-24.

Taxonomy is the science of describing, naming and recording life on earth – the crucial first step to understanding ecosystems. Taxonomists search for differences in physical appearance, genetics, behaviour and location to determine species that are new to modern science.

Today, ahead of Threatened Species Day, the Government announces 14 new projects that have received a total of $2 million in funding to name and classify native Australian species, under the NTRGP 2024-25.

One of the new projects will build on the Laughing Tree Frog discovery data collected by citizen scientists last year. The croaks will be studied using the FrogID app, comparing differences in male calls and DNA from museum specimens to identify and describe new frog species.

Other projects include formally describing at least 120 new-to-science species of Australia's sixth largest plant genus Lepidosperma (sedges), reviewing the family of orb-weaving spiders to identify 50 new species, and assessing the crustacean biodiversity in Western Australia's deep-sea marine parks.

The taxonomy research supports the Government’s Nature Positive Plan, providing a clearer picture of the nation’s biodiversity to ensure species are preserved and protected for future generations.

Projects: ABRS Grants awarded - DCCEEW

Quotes attributable to Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek:

“Many people might be shocked to hear that 70 per cent of our native species remain unnamed and hidden to science.

“Australia is a global biodiversity hotspot with more than 150,000 native species, yet taxonomists are naming about two species new to science each day.

“We are pleased to invest in this critical taxonomy research to protect our vulnerable and threatened species, otherwise we wouldn’t know that they exist or the threats they face.”