| Satomi's pygmy seahorse | |
|---|---|
| The holotype of Hippocampus satomiae | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Syngnathidae |
| Genus: | Hippocampus |
| Species: | H. satomiae |
| Binomial name | |
| Hippocampus satomiae Lourie and Kuiter, 2008 |
|
Satomi's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus satomiae) is the smallest known seahorse in the world with an average length of 13.8 millimetres (0.54 in) and an approximate height of 11.5 millimetres (0.45 in).[1]
This member of the Syngnathidae family is found at the Derawan Islands off Kalimantan.[2][3] This species name, H. satomiae, is in honour of Miss Satomi Onishi, the dive guide who collected the type specimens.[4]
Hippocampus satomiae was selected as one of "The Top 10 New Species" described in 2009 by The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of taxonomists.[5]