Satomi's pygmy seahorse

Hippocampus satomiae type specimens

Hippocampus satomiae is a species from the genus of seahorses (Hippocampus ). It was first described in 2008. The specific epithet honors Satomi Onishi, a diving guide, who had discovered the species in 2003 in the waters near Derawan, Kalimantan, Indonesia at a depth of 10-18 meters.

Features

The holotype, a male, has a length of 13.8 mm. The paratype, a female, measures 13.4 mm. Additional copies have discovered a height of 11 mm and a standard length of 14 mm. Thus, the hippocampus satomiae applies after Denise dwarf seahorses as the second smallest known Seepferdchenart. The number of trunk rings is 12 The tail is characterized by 27-28 rings. There are 13 dorsal fin rays and pectoral fin rays 9. The anal fin is small or absent. The head length is 22.3 percent of standard body length. The muzzle length makes up 51.0 percent of the head length. Live specimens are colored white to light brown or gray. In alcohol pickled specimens are light gray and almost transparent.

Dissemination and lifestyle

Satomiae hippocampus occurs in different places in Indonesian waters, including at Derawan on the coast of Kalimantan and in the Lembeh Strait on the coast of northern Sulawesi. The species is crepuscular and daytime only hard to find. At night, the hippocampus is satomiae in groups of three to five individuals observed at the base below Riffüberhängen in small sea fans at depths of 15-20 meters.

Reproduction

The birth was observed and photographed on several occasions. The young seahorses are pitch black at birth, 3 mm high and shaped similarly to the adult animals. The holotype, which was collected in October 2003, was pregnant and was wearing eight boy in the brood pouch at all times.