New fish species found in Greenland

The discovery confirms the deep sea in the North Atlantic still hides unexplored secrets

Researchers from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources have discovered a previously unknown species of fish in the North Atlantic off the southeast coast of Greenland.

The 30cm-long fish, which has very large eyes, has been given the Latin name of nansenia boreacrassicauda and the Danish name of ‘nordlig tykhale blyantsmelt’ (‘northern thick-tailed pencil smelt’).

According to the biologist Jan Yde Poulsen, who made the discovery, the fish was found in 2008 during an expedition of the Greenland research vessel R/V Pâimut that focused on the local halibut population.

Previously misidentified
Later, it turned out the Zoological Museum in Hamburg had already collected five samples of the same species of fish dating back to 1982, but it was misidentified as another known species.

Some 300 species of fish have been identified in the Greenlandic waters so far – of which 30 have been discovered in the past 10 years.

Poulsen decided to call this new species of pencil smelt ‘boreacrassicauda’ as ‘boreas’ means ‘northern’ in Latin, while ‘crassus’ means thick and ‘cauda’ means tail.




Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    An analysis from the Labour Movement’s Business Council shows that the rate in long-term unemployment for non-Western immigrants is 1.8 times higher than for Danes. In other words, a chronic unemployment situation is way more probable for non-Western internationals.

  • Minister proposes major changes to rules for international students in Denmark

    Minister proposes major changes to rules for international students in Denmark

    The increasing number of Nepalese students coming to Denmark and working in various industries, along with their spouses, is raising concerns within government ranks. Immigration and Integration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek has announced his intention to introduce stricter rules for everyone.

  • Denmark to invest heavily in vocational education

    Denmark to invest heavily in vocational education

    The Danish government will allocate one billion DKK annually from 2030 to improve vocational education. The initiative aims to lower dropout rates, enhance training quality, and address labor shortages by increasing financial support for schools, teacher training, and international study opportunities.