The psychedelic fish that bounces erratically over the coral

A bizarre, psychedelic fish that bounces on the ocean floor like a rubber ball has been classified as a new species, according to a scientific journal.

The frogfish - which has a swirl of tan and peach zebra stripes that extend from its aqua eyes to its tail - was first discovered by scuba diving instructors off Ambon island in eastern Indonesia.

They contacted Ted Pietsch from the University of Washington, who submitted DNA work on the fish to the journal Copeia this month.

The fish - which the University of Washington professor has named 'psychedelica' - is a frogfish of the genus, Histiophryne. The fish's stripes were probably intended to mimic coral.

It has fins on both sides of its body that have evolved to be leg-like. But it has several behavioral traits not previously known to other frogfish, Professor Pietsch said.

Each time the fish strike the seabed, for instance, they push off with their fins and expel water from tiny gill openings to jet themselves forward. Coupled with an off-centered tail, it causes them to bounce around in a bizarre, chaotic manner.

Mark Erdman, a senior adviser to the Conservation International's marine program, said it was an exciting discovery.

'I think people thought frogfishes were relatively well known and to get a new one like this is really quiet spectacular. It's a stunning animal,' he said.

'It also speaks to the tremendous diversity in this region and to fact that there are still a lot of unknowns here - in Indonesia and in the Coral Triangle in general.'

The fish, which has a gelatinous fist-sized body covered with thick folds of skin that protect it from sharp-edged corals, also has a flat face with eyes directed forward, like humans, and a huge, yawning mouth.