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Scientists to name new fish species after Obama

by Jessie Hellmann - 09/03/16 10:22 AM ET

President Obama is getting a new namesake — a just-discovered species of fish.

{mosads}The fish, discovered 300 feet deep in the waters off Kure Atoll, reminded scientists of Obama’s campaign logo, CNN reported. The dorsal fin coloration of the male is a circular red spot ringed with blue.

“It’s very reminiscent of Obama’s [campaign] logo,” marine biologist Richard Pyle told National Geographic.

“How appropriate that a fish we were thinking about naming after him anyway, just to say thank you for expanding the national monument, happens to have a feature that ties it to the president.”

It’s the one fish known to live only within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, National Geographic reported.

Obama expanded Papahānaumokuākea last week, making it the largest area of protected water on Earth.

Obama on Thursday accepted a framed plague of the fish, commenting, “Am I wrong here, or is there a familiar name in the middle of this? This is a nice-looking fish.”

The official name of the fish won’t be released until later this year.

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