The labour was obviously arduous and he was crunched over, panting for breath. The Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse was first seen in 2003 in… He swam with great resolve (1) from where he slept each night with his partner, Josephine, against the current, to the edge of the gorgonian seafan (a type of coral) that the two inhabited. Last modified on Thu 19 Nov 2020 03.42 EST. It is only found in one small bay in central Sulawesi, Indonesia, where it lives only on the surface of certain soft corals. It is just 2.6cm long and looks like several intertwined hairs moving around. I believe this is because the megafauna – such as sharks, turtles and rays – around south-east Asia have dwindled to such an extent that recreational divers and their guides began to look at smaller creatures to satisfy their curiosity. It wasn’t until I was presenting at another conference a few years later that things started moving forwards. During my keynote presentation, I mentioned these pygmy seahorses and that I was sure they were a new species. - pygmy seahorse stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. Although he was clearly quite exhausted, Tom immediately headed back to where Josephine was resting. And for a lot of divers the Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus pontohi or Weedy Pygmy Seahorse) is even more special than other Pygmy Seahorses. They are much smaller in size, reaching just under 1.7 cm in length from the tip of the tail to the snout. Japanese pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus japapigu)The Japanese pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus japapigu, (known locally as 日本のピグミータツノオトシゴ or Japapigu) is a newly described species of pygmy seahorse found, as the name suggests, in Japan. When the water around coral reefs is 2C above the average for the time of year, the symbiotic algae within the coral’s cells become stressed and leave. The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs by Richard Smith is published by Apollo, Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features, Available for everyone, funded by readers. This pygmy seahorse (15) was named in 2009 as the Walea soft coral pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus waleananus. These tiny pygmy seahorses usually live in fairly shallow water, around 3m to 10m in depth. (pontohi), also known as Weedy Pygmy Seahorse, a species not yet described. The sequence allowed Tom to be certain that each and every baby he would carry would be his own. Pontoh’s pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus pontohi) do not live on gorgonian fans but instead they are found on algae such as halimeda algae and various sea grasses. a pontohi pygmy seahorse (hippocampus pontohi) clings to algae on a reef. At Wakatobi they are often found living in pairs or small groups in clumps of the calcareous alga, Halimeda. It has the largest range of all the true pygmy seahorses, found all the way from Southern Japan, throughout Indonesia, parts of the Great Barrier Reef, and over to Fiji. It matches the sponge exactly in texture and colour, and even when you’re looking directly at one, it’s almost impossible to see it. There are half a dozen or so other ghost pipefishes found across the Indo-Pacific oceans, and each is highly adapted for its habitat. Josephine, on the left, is clearly rather plump because she is full of a clutch of unfertilised eggs. There wasn’t a moment’s respite for him, as Josephine quickly emerged and began a series of ritualised quivers to convey her intention to proceed to the next part of the reproductive cycle. The Pygmy Seahorses are without doubt among the most attractive critters – they are cryptic, hard to find but yet beautiful. Since the turn of the millennium there has been a flurry of discoveries of miniature fishes. 4. Two risk factors for a species’ chance of extinction are their habitat specificity and geographic range. Another beautiful pygmy seahorse. These three species are free-living, rather than associated with gorgonian corals like Bargibant’s and Denise’s pygmy seahorses. The South African pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus nalu, was recognised as a new species in May. Years before, I had seen a picture of an unusual pygmy seahorse taken in Japan that piqued my interest. The daily courtship rituals are carried out to help synchronise the pair’s reproductive cycles. I managed to capture one of the only images of this species in the wild in 2017. No wonder, as the Pontohi is not as “easy” to find as other Pygmy Seahorses. Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus pontohi) was one of three species officially named in 2008. Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00447 (0.00173 - 0.01152), b=3.00 (2.78 - 3.22), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. The Pygmy Seahorses are without doubt among the most attractive critters – they are cryptic, hard to find but yet beautiful. A rare, pristine coral reef, in West Papua, Indonesia. It was washed up on a local beach during Typhoon trami. The large swells off Hachijō mean it’s difficult to stay still enough in the water to keep an eye on them. Three different species of pygmy seahorses, Hippocampus bargibanti (two variaties), Hippocampus denise and Hippocampus pontohi in Raja Ampat, … It was, in fact, a new species of pygmy pipehorse (11), a very close relative of the seahorse. Tom seen with his wrinkled, now empty, brood pouch. I went with a colleague to observe it first hand. Unlike other species they do not stick to one host and are seen moving from place to place in depths of 3 meters to 25 meters. Several years ago a diver came across a strange fish and assumed it was New Zealand’s first indigenous seahorse. His empty brood pouch was now wrinkled (4) following the birth of the fry he had been carrying. There are now 8 known species of pygmy seahorses: Bargibant’s Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti)Denise’s Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus denise)Pontoh’s Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus pontohi)Satomi’s Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus satomiae)Wulea Soft Coral Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus waleananus)Coleman’s Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus … All About Pygmys. An adult Pontohi, or weedy, pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus pontohi. It is the first pygmy seahorse to have been recorded anywhere in the Indian Ocean. 17. Total processing time for the page : 0.5544 seconds. Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Syngnathiformes (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathidae (Pipefishes and seahorses) > Hippocampinae Etymology: Hippocampus: Greek, ippos = horse + Greek,kampe = curvature (Ref. 13. 8. An undescribed species of ghost pipefish, commonly known as the velvetghost pipefish (12), tends to live around brightly coloured sponges, and each individual pipefish matches exactly the colour of the sponge immediately adjacent to where it lives. The other main difference is the gills. Pygmy seahorses are a group of seven species of miniature syngnathids (technical name for seahorses and pipefish) fish that live in the Coral Triangle region of southeast Asia. They are covered in polyps that trap plankton for food. Gorgonians are fan-like corals that can get as large as a car’s windscreen. This certainty of paternity is extremely rare in the animal kingdom, and explains why male seahorses put so much effort into raising their offspring. Pontohi pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus pontohi. The species description, Hippocampus japapigu, a new species of pygmy seahorse from Japan, with a redescription of H. pontohi (Teleostei, Syngnathidae), was authored by Graham Short, Richard Smith, Hiroyuki Motomura, David Harasti, and Healy Hamilton, recently published as an open-access article in the Journal ZooKeys. Video of Pontoh`s Pygmy Seahorse at Bangka Island, Indonesia (as Severn's Seahorse, Hippocampus severnsi, which is a junior synonym of H. pontohi). And for a lot of divers the Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus pontohi or Weedy Pygmy Seahorse) is even more special than other Pygmy Seahorses. The Sodwana Pygmy Seahorse, Hippocampus nalu, is the first pygmy seahorse species to be found in African waters and the Indian Ocean. They usually live in male-female pairs that hunt tiny shrimps and other crustaceans. At that time, it hadn’t been seen in over six months. 5. The Pontohi pygmy seahorse has been found so far only in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, but in various habitats such as hydroids or plants. The Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse was first seen in 2003 in Bunaken (by a local guide named Hence Pontoh) and officially described in 2008 – so it is a rather recently discovered species. Just one species of pygmy seahorse was known before the turn of the millennium. Male carries the eggs in a brood pouch (Ref. Dwarf seahorses can breed in a home aquarium if they receive at least 12 hours of light. It’s not until they settle to a new gorgonian that they adapt in surface texture and colour to match their particular home. The Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus pontohi) was one of three species officially named in 2008. 11. So the pygmies actually do look pregnant with a big belly. Just like seahorses, these fish brood their young in a pouch on the male’s belly. In his new book, marine biologist and photographer Richard Smith reveals the tiny, magical world of pygmy seahorses, one of the most elusive fish on the planet, Thu 19 Nov 2020 02.45 EST Females begin to hydrate their clutch a few days before mating. A few months earlier, a dive guide had spotted it in Sodwana Bay, in north-eastern South Africa. In 2013 I was in Okinawa in Japan to attend a conference. Pontohi Pygmy Seahorses are one of the most beautiful critters we get in Lembeh. In May of this year, colleagues from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and I named a new species of pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus nalu (10). 3. Josephine pushes more unfertilised eggs across to Tom’s empty brood pouch. Since then, another seven have been added to the list. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippokampos (ἱππόκαμπος hippókampos), itself from hippos (ἵππος híppos) meaning "horse" and kampos (κάμπος kámpos) meaning "sea monster". All rights reserved. The Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse is a highlight of diving in Bunaken but it is a master at hiding so you need to have a very keen eye to spot them. Greek, ippos = horse + Greek,kampe = curvature (Ref. Marine; benthopelagic; non-migratory; depth range 8 - 25 m (Ref. They attach to the reef where ocean currents hit, bringing large volumes of nutrients. A Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus pontohi Just one species of pygmy seahorse was known before the turn of the millennium. A pygmy pipehorse, a close relative of the seahorse, found off the coast of New Zealand. I found a pair clinging to a tiny algal frond. As they entered his reproductive system he fertilised them. It takes about 2 weeks for the male seahorse … They range in length from 1.4 – 2.7 cm between the tip of the tail to the end of the snout. These seahorses are very hard to find because of their miniature size and fantastic camouflage, so knowing which species of gorgonians they live on is a huge help. The algae contain photosynthetic pigments that provide energy to the coral. 16. Amazingly, over the course of a few days I managed to find more than a dozen of them (8) and was sure they were distinct from all others I had seen before. 18. Bargibant’s and Denise’s pygmy seahorses live exclusively on the surface of gorgonian seafans (7). The Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse was first seen in 2003 in… In the year before it was described, I observed it in the wild and am one of the few to have done so. They are also one of the hardest to find and the hardest to get photos or video of. Hippocampus pontohi Name Synonyms Hippocampus severnsi Lourie & Kuiter, 2008 Homonyms Hippocampus pontohi Lourie & Kuiter, 2008 Common names Pontoh's pygmy seahorse in English 彭氏海馬;潘氏海馬;彭氏豆丁海馬 in language. • What is the size of a pygmy seahorse? No wonder, as the Pontohi is not as “easy” to find as other Pygmy Seahorses. Unlike other seahorses, the pygmy seahorse has only one gill opening on the back of the head instead of two. This is the only specimen I have found. 9. Tom holds open his brood pouch with one last baby still remaining. Genetic analysis shows the Japanese pygmy seahorse split from all others around 8 million years ago. The pygmy seahorse Hippocampusjapapigusp. Around that 10 mm long with bulbous Because of this, it is much harder to find them. Seahorses are extremely variable in colour and surface texture, which has led to many new species being erroneously named over the years. It took Tom a little while of crunching, drawing in water and crunching again before the last baby finally popped out (3). I took this image of Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus pontohi (16), which was named in 2008, in February this year in Indonesia. Again, it evaded detection owing to its small size, habitat specificity and highly efficient camouflage. Could it be a juvenile Hippocampus pontohi, or H colemani or H servensi. Two of the dark-coloured fry are seen here (2) forcefully being expelled from his brood pouch. When they are born, aside from colour, they appear to be miniature versions of their parents. It has a few morphological differences, too, which allow the trained eye to identify it. Without the algae, coral is left ghostly white. Tiny Bargibant pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus bargibanti. Unlike Bargibant’s and Denise’s pygmies, which live on the surface of gorgonian corals, I found the Japanese species grasping to the algal tufts that cover the huge volcanic boulders found around Hachijō-jima. greatest threats comes from coral bleaching, The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs. Pygmy seahorses are not just small versions of the larger seahorses. Since then, another seven have been added to the list. He never faltered. 15. They live on gorgonians in deep water. This thread pipehorse, Kyonemichthys rumengani (13), was described in 2007. It was an honour to be the first person to witness and record this series of events. After hours trawling the internet, I tracked down a location where I thought I might find it and headed to the small island of Hachijō-jima, south of Tokyo. A Walea soft coral pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus waleananus, found in Indonesia. Lynne’s pipefish, Festucalex rufus (14), was only named in 2015. When the female's eggs are ready she will insert them in the male seahorses pouch. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 10. These are animals, not plants, so don’t need sunlight for energy. Sadly, pristine coral reefs like this one in West Papua, Indonesia (18), are becoming much harder to find. Seahorses have two ope… The Japanese pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus japapigu. That, in turn, means the pygmy seahorse faces an uncertain future. With adults measuring less than 2cm in length, the fry are just 2-3mm long. The juvenile had been with its siblings for almost two weeks in the brood pouch. The dark-coloured Pontoh’s were originally described as a distinct species, but genetic analysis has shown that they are the same as the white form. Named for Hence Pontoh, the Indonesian dive guide who first brought these pygmy seahorses to our attention. They are one of the largest species, reaching a maximum of 27mm. 6. Bangka, Indonesia. Photos and description of Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse (Hippocampus pontohi), critter at Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia Tom was still very deflated after having given birth 20 minutes or so before. These three species are free-living, rather than associated with gorgonian corals like Bargibant’s and Denise’s pygmy seahorses. At the time, it was thought to only occur in the waters off Japan, but it has since been confirmed as far south as Taiwan. After spending hundreds of hours observing pygmy seahorses for my doctorate, I knew exactly when Tom, a Denise’s pygmy seahorse in Sulawesi, Indonesia, would give birth. a pontohi pygmy seahorse (hippocampus pontohi) clings to algae on a reef. At around 10mm long they. I recorded the transition of a juvenile pygmy seahorse and it took five days to become a perfect match with the gorgonian. The waters off South Africa are quite wild, and it wasn’t easy to find and photograph them as each surge wave dragged me several metres away from the subject. 2019 Dec 16, 2019 Small and mighty (Why the weedy pygmy is going strong) Dec 16, 2019 Nov 11, 2019 Gentle (underwater) "giant" of Galapagos - the Pacific seahorse Nov 11, 2019 Oct 30, 2019 The "amazing race" to uncover seahorse trade and exploitation in the Philippines Oct 30, 2019 One of the greatest threats comes from coral bleaching. The thorny seahorse (Hippocampus histrix) Is very rare in the waters of Okinawa. Graham Short, an expert in seahorse taxonomy, came and spoke to me, which immediately began a flurry of seahorse excitement. The Japanese pygmy seahorse (17) appears superficially similar to several others, but genetic analysis shows it split from all others around 8 million years ago. Bibliographic References It took 45 seconds for Josephine to push the unfertilised eggs across to Tom’s empty brood pouch (6). Pulisan, North Sulawesi. Just 20 minutes after giving birth, Tom’s tail is entwined with Josephine’s. Some are white, others pink or even scarlet. Since the discovery of Hippocampus bargibanti in 1970, seven more pygmy seahorses have been discovered including Hippocampus denise (2003) from Indonesia, Hippocampus colemani (2003) from Lord Howe Island, Hippocampus pontohi (2008), Hippocampus satomiae (2008) and Hippocampus walaenanus (2009) ; all discovered from Indonesia, Hippocampus japapigu (2018) discovered from … Over several occasions I witnessed him release between six and 12 fry. Cite this page as: There has never been any research on their biology but the relative risks to their populations are great. It is important the female doesn’t begin to prepare the eggs for mating too early as they may spoil if the male is not ready. The new Sodwana Pygmy Seahorse is tiny, growing to just over 2 cm (about the size of a grain of rice) and has a honey-brown colour overlaid with a white netted pattern and a reddish tail. There are 47 different species of seahorses and 14 of those were discovered in the last eight years, including Pontoh's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus pontohi), which was officially named in 2008.Seahorses’ ability to change their color and shape to blend in with their environment makes identification of individual species challenging. • What is a pygmy seahorse? Its body color varies from white to yellow to pink. n. is described based on three specimens, 13.9–16.3 mm SL, collected from a mixed soft coral and algae reef at 11 m depth at Hachijo-jima Island, Izu Islands, Japan. Their dark colour gives them some degree of camouflage in the open ocean and they will spend two to three weeks floating freely in currents, before settling to a gorgonian of their own. They range in length from 1.4 – 2.7 cm between the tip of the tail to the end of the snout. At the edge of the coral, the current was at its strongest, offering the greatest chance of sweeping his offspring out to the relative safety of the open ocean. Eighteen months later, we named the new 2cm-long pygmy seahorse Hippocampus japapigu (9). Some researchers believe coral reefs in their current form may not survive beyond 2050. The ‘original’ pygmy seahorse, Bargibant’s pygmy seahorse was the first species to be discovered. In exchange, the coral provides the algae with its own waste products, which act as a fertiliser. The Pontohi Pygmy Seahorse was first seen in 2003 in Bunaken (by a local guide named Hence Pontoh) and officially described in 2008 – so it is a rather recently discovered species. This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed. The pipehorse is only 5-6cm long with immaculate camouflage. Luckily for us, our guides have great spotting skills and know just where to look to find the elusive pygmy. Seahorse (also written sea-horse and sea horse) is the name given to 46 species of small marine fish in the genus Hippocampus. A Pontoh’s pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus pontohi. Pygmy seahorses are a group of seven species of miniature syngnathids (technical name for seahorses and pipefish) fish that live in the Coral Triangle region of southeast Asia. The mating ritual consists of some dancing, shaking and maybe even a change in colors. A Lynne’s pipefish, Festucalex rufus, which is the size of a cocktail stick. Having grabbed on to the edge of the gorgonian with his tail, Tom began to give birth. Bargibant pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus bargibanti. A brown pygmy seahorse scattered with white dots and sometimes with a marbled pattern, a bright red patch on the trunk, and a pale tail with brown bands. A thread pipehorse, Kyonemichthys rumengani. The Japanese pygmy seahorse has also been found off the coast of Taiwan. It is the size of a cocktail stick and lives only among little patches of a certain sponge found on coral reef walls below around 15 metres depth. 14. After all the babies have finally been released, the male pygmy seahorse is perhaps the only male in the animal kingdom to truly suffer from stretch marks. Like the bigger seahorses the males carry the young but in the trunk and not in a pouch at the tail. Photos and info about Hippocampus sp. The photos also confirmed that there are five species of pygmy seahorses living in Taiwanese waters: Bargibant’s, Denise’s, Coleman’s (H. colemani), Pontoh’s (H. pontohi… The babies are released into the ocean where they swim for a planktonic phase in the open water before settling down on a seafan or on the reef (1). - pygmy seahorse stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. 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