Syngnathidae

Pygmy seahorse

Hippocampus bargibanti

Mimics gorgonian coral for camouflage

• Tropical
• Regional distribution
• Marine fish
• Pacific Ocean
• East Asia
• Oceania
• Southeast Asia
• Other
• Small
• Tropical fish

Hippocampus bargibanti, also known as Bargibant's seahorse or the pygmy seahorse, is a seahorse of the family Syngnathidae found in the central Indo-Pacific area. This pygmy seahorse is tiny—usually less than 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in size—and lives exclusively on gorgonian sea-fans, as its coloration and physical features expertly mimic the coral for camouflage. The relationship between a pygmy seahorse and its host sea-fan is non-invasive and non-parasitic, serving only to shelter the diminutive seahorse.