Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Wonders of the Animal Kingdom #3: The Pygmy Seahorse



The pygmy seahorse is tiny, no larger than 2.4 cm. This species is known to occur only on gorgonian corals of the genus Muricella, and has evolved to resemble its host. The tubercles and truncated snout of this species match the color and shape of the polyps of the host gorgonian, while its body matches the gorgonian stem. The camouflage is so effective that the original specimens were discovered only after their host coral had been collected and placed in an aquarium!
More pictures here. Check out the incredible video below:


The Pygmy Seahorse! - video powered by Metacafe

(Hat tip: Fred Edmond)

2 comments:

YK said...

great find, this is really amazing

Bruce said...

Stunning photo.
Thankx.