A well camouflaged Pygmy Seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti in a Gorgonian Coral Muricella plectana

by Ifish

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A well camouflaged Pygmy Seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti in a Gorgonian Coral Muricella plectana

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Ifish

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Photograph - Photograph

Description

The Pygmy Seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti is the master of camouflage. This fish looks really like his host Gorgonian Sea Fan Muricella plectana: the body matches the gorgonian stem, while the tubercles match shape and often color of the polyps. The species occurs in the tropical Indo-West Pacific in a depth range from 18-40m, as his host usually grows in depths over 20m, max. length 2.4 cm. The camouflage is so effective, the original specimen were discovered only after their host gorgonian had been collected and placed in an aquarium.

Image provided by Getty Images.

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December 6th, 2023

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