I'd say it depends on what it is that your species resembles. If it's a real life thing I'd say that the lore can help on making it look more unique. Generally, this is a bit of a difficult question to answer since a "unique species" is interpreted different from person to person. What might seem unique to you might not be unique to someone else.
I already have my species, but this is a question I've been meaning to ask: If a species looks close to something else, is it the lore that determines if it's unique?
Also, I didn't know if this should go into species discussion, or general and off-topic.