A new species of pygmy seahorse（豆丁海马）has been discovered off the coast of South Africa in Sodwana Bay, attracting scientists with its tiny size—only 2.7 centimeters.
An international research team studied the tiny pygmy seahorse in 2019, after it was spotted by chance by diving instructor Savannah Nalu Olivier who was exploring algae（海藻）on the seafloor of the bay, But it wasn't easy to see it at all, according to a press release from the University of Leeds in Australia. That's because these sea creatures are camouflaged by their stony golden-brown look.
This is the first time that a pygmy seahorse has ever been discovered in the Indian Ocean In fact, the closest known pygmy seahorse species live 8, 000 kilometers away in a region of the Pacific Ocean called Coral Triangle. Until now, all but one of the seven pygmy seahorse species have been found in the triangle, making this discovery particularly puzzling.
The study was led by Graham Short from the California Academy of Sciences. It discovers a number of detailed features that differentiate this species from other seahorses. While larger seahorses have gills（鳃）on each side of their head, the Sodwana Bay pygmy seahorse has only one gills slit on its back. "That would be like having a nose on the back of your neck, "Short said in an interview. The tiny seahorse also has a set of sharp spines（刺毛）on its back while other pygmy seahorses have flat-tipped spines. The researchers haven't figured out what they are used for yet.
The tiny pygmy seahorse reminds us that when we open our eyes, the natural world be-comes an endless mystery. Unknown species and even entire ecosystems are awaiting to be discovered in places we never thought possible.
