So far this is the only pygmy seahorse known from the Marshall Islands. A single specimen was found on a large peach-colored fan coral, Annella mollis, on the Kwajalein Atoll seaward reef at a depth of about 38m on 22 March 2010. It was a very tiny animal, appearing to measure less than 15mm in height, even with the long tail fully stretched out. Although we had been looking for pygmy seahorses, this one was found by accident, when the photographer taking a photo of the seashell Pellasimnia annabellae on the same gorgonian apparently disturbed the seahorse, causing it to swim off past the diver's facemask. The only other seahorse found at Kwajalein is Hippocampus histrix.
Created 10 July 2010