Katie Cordrey
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Just when it looks like global warming is killing off species right and left, five newly discovered seahorse species have been identified in the coral reefs in the Red Sea and Indonesia. Pygmy seahorses are among the world’s smallest vertebrates, and they are masters of disguise. If we didn’t have enough incentives to preserve the world’s coral reefs, we now have five tiny reasons more. Vickie Coker’s prize-winning photo of a pygmy seahorse the on a sea fan in the Malaysian section of the South Pacific island of Borneo is shown in the lead photo. Photos 2-6 show the newly discovered species: The Walea pygmy seahorse, the Soft Coral seahorse aka Hippocampus debelius, Severns’ pygmy seahorse, Satomi’s pygmy seahorse, and Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse.  At under half an inch tall (13 millimeters), Satomi's pygmy seahorse—named after dive guide Satomi Onishi—is a strong contender for the world's smallest seahorse. With their tails stretched out straight, two Satomi's pygmy seahorses would fit head-to-head across the face of a penny.
These miniscule seahorses from Indonesian reefs have been seen giving birth to tiny offspring, each about the size of a 12-point apostrophe.
(news.nationalgeographic)References: news.nationalgeographic Filed In: |
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