Five New Pygmy Seahorse Species Found
National Geographic News 5 Feb 09;
The Walea pygmy seahorse is one of five species named in a flurry of recent seahorse discoveries from coral reefs in the Red Sea and Indonesia. All five are less than an inch tall (2.5 centimeters) and are among the tiniest known vertebrates.
It was thanks to the keen eyes of underwater photographers and divers that these secretive specimens came to light.
The seahorses, described in December 2008 and January 2009 studies, are the first to be discovered in five years.
The Walea seahorse is named after an island in central Sulawesi, Indonesia—the only place it has so far been found.
--Helen Scales
More photos and a video clip on the National Geographic website
