Hippocampus pontohi
Hippocampus pontohi | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Syngnathiformes |
Family: | Syngnathidae |
Genus: | Hippocampus |
Species: | H. pontohi
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Binomial name | |
Hippocampus pontohi | |
Synonyms[3] | |
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Hippocampus pontohi, also known as Pontoh's pygmy seahorse or the weedy pygmy seahorse, is a
Description
The weedy pygmy seahorse is a small fish which can reach a maximum length of approximately 1.7 cm, which makes it one of the smallest representatives of the seahorses.[4] The body is small and slender with a prehensile tail. The head is relatively large, it represents about 25% of the size of the body.[4] The eyes are prominent. It has a moderately long snout and this later does not have any bulbous tip. The coronet rises rearwardly creating a kind of angle when the animal's profile is observed. The trunk and tail may also have some small bulbs. The coronet and the widest part of the back can have some red distinctive branching filaments. The body background color is whitish with a yellow to pinkish color on the head and backside of its body. Thin red lines may also extend from the starting point of the cutaneous filaments from its back. The tail has also some red bands.
Distribution and habitat
The Pontoh's pygmy seahorse has been recorded from central Indo-Pacific area in eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.[4]
This pygmy seahorse likes reef wall exposed to current and rich in
Biology
The weedy pygmy seahorse has a carnivorous diet and feeds on small
Conservation status
This species population may be vulnerable to the loss of meadows of Halimedadue to the acidification of oceans, however, it can use other habitats and is listed as
Internationally, it is also listed in Appendix II of the
Naming
The specific name honours Hence Pontoh, an Indonesian dive guide who brought these small seahorses to the attention of its describers.[4]
References
- ^ .
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ Lourie, S. A., R.A. Pollom and S.J. Foster, 2016. A global revision of the seahorses Hippocampus Rafinesque 1810 (Actinopterygii: Syngnathiformes): taxonomy and biogeography with recommendations for further research. Zootaxa, 4146(1):1-66.
- ^ .
External links
- Photos of Hippocampus pontohi on Sealife Collection