Fish-Naming Auction Raises $2-Million for Conservation

An auction in Monte Carlo that sold the rights to name 10 newly discovered species of fish has earned $2-million for conservation and education efforts in Indonesia, the source of the species, reports The Washington Post.

One shark alone earned $500,000, and the auction overall set a record for this type of event. Such events are increasingly common: A recent auction to name a primate species earned $650,000.

Neither the names of the winning bidders nor the names they chose for the fish were disclosed. The money will be used to build a floating ranger station in the bay where scientists discovered the species and also to support educational trips for Indonesian children.

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