Photo: Via Wikipedia. Pygmy Seahorse by Marcelle Johannes, Bali, Indonesia.
The Pygmy Seahorse (not to be confused with the Dwarf Seahorse) are among the smallest vertebrates in the ocean, measuring around 2.7 cm or just over an inch and live in the warm waters of South East Asia, although a species has been discovered by scientists off South Africa.
They have superb camouflage that allows them to blend into the coral reefs where they live on a diet of tiny crustaceans, larvae and brine shrimp.
The skin of a Pygmy Seahorse have calcified knob like bumps called tubercles that mimic the coral they live on.
Unlike larger seahorses, Pygmy Seahorses have a single gill opening on the back of their head rather than 2 on the side and brood their young in a cavity in the trunk of their body rather than a tail pouch.
For more information on these cute rather mysterious earthlings please enjoy the links below:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEDAtX95ErA
oceana.org/marine-life/pygmy-seahorse/
By Brendon Crook
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