Pygmy Seahorse
Hippocampus bargibanti
Sighting evidence at Lobster Wall, Kapalai Island
Photo: Julian Hsu · CC BY-NC
Bargibant's pygmy seahorses reach just 2 centimetres in length and match their host Muricella gorgonian fans so precisely — mimicking both colour and surface texture — that they were not formally described until a specimen was accidentally collected on a fan sent to a laboratory. Pairs and trios inhabit single sea fan colonies indefinitely, rarely moving more than a few centimetres across their host. Locating them requires patience and a sharp eye for the tiny brood pouch of the male, which is the surest visual cue at Kapalai's depth range.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Pygmy Seahorse is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.