Scientists discovered 71 new species this year. Here are some of their favorites

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 1610 GMT (0010 HKT) December 7, 2019

This cat-eyed cardinalfish found in Papua New Guinea is one of the new fish species found in 2019.
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This cat-eyed cardinalfish found in Papua New Guinea is one of the new fish species found in 2019.
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This fish is called Cirrhilabrus wakanda, or the Vibranium fairy wrasse -- a nod to the fictional country and metal featured in the Marvel movie "Black Panther."
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This fish is called Cirrhilabrus wakanda, or the Vibranium fairy wrasse -- a nod to the fictional country and metal featured in the Marvel movie "Black Panther."
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Janolus flavoanulatus is a sea slug found in the Philippines. Pictured here, it shows<strong> </strong>a colorful pattern as it sits on the ocean floor.
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Janolus flavoanulatus is a sea slug found in the Philippines. Pictured here, it shows a colorful pattern as it sits on the ocean floor.
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This girdled lizard, Cordylus phonolithos, was found on the second-highest mountain peak in Angola.
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This girdled lizard, Cordylus phonolithos, was found on the second-highest mountain peak in Angola.
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Myrmecicultor chihuahuensis is an ant-loving spider family from the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico.
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Myrmecicultor chihuahuensis is an ant-loving spider family from the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico.
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Trembleya altoparaisensis is a rare white flowering plant that can only be found in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in Goiás, Brazil.
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Trembleya altoparaisensis is a rare white flowering plant that can only be found in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in Goiás, Brazil.
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