A tip-off from a local diver has resulted in the discovery of SA's first pygmy seahorse species in Sodwana Bay, on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.
An international team, including experts from the University of Leeds and California Academy of Science, published their research in the scientific journal Zookeys.
According to a University of Leeds statement, the discovery of the tiny creatures is usually rare and difficult. “At less than 2.7 centimetres, the largest pygmy seahorse is not much bigger than a fingernail, but most of the known species are smaller still. It comes as no surprise that finding these elusive creatures in the hustle and bustle of a coral reef is harder than finding a needle in a haystack.
“This is, however, exactly what happened last year in the Sodwana Bay region, off SA's east coast. After a tip-off from a local diver, a team of researchers discovered the Sodwana pygmy seahorse.”
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