Pygmy Seahorses

This slight seahorse was a chance discovery, when Neville Coleman was force to dive inside Lord Howe Island lagoon because waters outside the lagoon were too rough. Described in 2003, still not much is known about Hippocampus colemani.

The title for smallest of the small goes to Satomi’s Pygmy Seahorse. A max size of only 1.4cm, its no surprise this species went so long without being discovered. It is found in scattered locations throughout Indonesia, and are extremely difficult to spot even in known locations.

H. Pontohi was named after dive guide Hence Pontoh that discovered these tiny seahorses. Just recognized for the first time by science in 2008, its none-the-less attracted divers from all over the world to Bunaken Island in Indonesia where it was discovered. Unlike many pygmy seahorses, this tiny seahorse prefers to hang out on algae.

Often confused with Hippocampus bargibanti, H. denise wasn’t recognized as a different species until 2002. It’s named after Denise Tackett, the underwater photographer that brought attention to its differences from H. bargibanti, including smaller size and lack of tubercles. It was originally believed to be the juvenile form of H. bargibanti. Closer inspection revealed it is in fact a seperate species.

H. bargibanti was one of the first pygmy seahorses discovered. In 1969 it was found in a lab, having hitched a ride on a gorgonian that was being studied. Since that time, H. bargibanti has been sought after by divers.

Pygmy seahorses are part of the same group that all seahorses are, the genus Hippocampus. However they differ from most other species as they are rarely larger than 1 inch. These tiny seahorse species are found through the world, most less than one inch in size. More interestingly most species have been discovered within the [...]