Denise's pygmy seahorse

Scientific name : Hippocampus denise

Small pygmy seahorse (1.6 cm), with thin body, long neck, scattered tubercles, yellow - brown colour, short snout, very long prehensile tail. Found in the deep reef. Differences with respect to Hippocampus bargibanti: colour, general body shape thinner, more elongate snout, more active behaviour. Some author considered this a juvenile form of H. bargibanti, with a different colour due to the need to match the different background. Observe also the new animal recently photographed on shallow living soft corals (Hippocampus sp. 2).

Associated organisms
When associated with the gorgonian Acanthogorgia, with non retractile polyps (that is they can be contracted but are always in sight, like rounded buds), Hippocampus denise is covered with prominent verrucae. When associated with the gorgonian Annella, with retractile polyps, the verrucae are much less appearent, and there are fine points mimicking the contracted polyps.

	Description	Author	Place	Size
	Denise's pygmy seahorse	MATTEO GUARDINI	Indonesia, Lembeh strait	552 kB