Five New Pygmy Seahorse Species Found

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.

Photos and more at the national geographic website

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/photogalleries/new-seahorse-sea-life-found/

Contributed by Tim Hochgrebe added 2009-03-02