Bargibant's Pygmy Seahorse
Hippocampus bargibanti
Sighting evidence at Hidden Garden, Efate
Photo: Julian Hsu · CC BY-NC
Bargibant's pygmy seahorses cling to Muricella-type gorgonian fans at Hidden Garden in both the pink-and-purple and orange-and-yellow colour morphs, each perfectly matching the knobby polyp texture of their specific host coral. Local operators maintain a catalogue of known individuals on specific fans, allowing them to show guests multiple seahorse encounters in a single dive. The site's calm, protected conditions mean these delicate animals are found in consistently the same locations year after year.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Bargibant's Pygmy Seahorse is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.