FiNS Blog

Check out my blog on the FiNS website going into a little more detail about the new pygmy seahorse species.  There will be a longer article at some point in the not too distant future so keep your eye peeled!

ARKive Collaboration

I have recently been working with ARKive, which is a unique and in my opinion hugely valuable venture that is attempting to catalogue images, sound and video recordings of the world's threatened animals.  Given that species are disappearing faster than ever before on our planet these sadly might be the only way our next generation will view the lost natural world.  Hopefully by creating a catalogue of our disappearing species the reality of this extinction may hit-home to decision makers before it is too late.

Please support ARKive and check out my images of the hedgehog seahorse (Hippocampus spinosissimus) and Great seahorse (Hippocampus kelloggi).  There will be more to follow soon!

Another two new Pygmies!

Hot on the heels of three new pygmy seahorses described at the end of 2008 another two have been added to the fray!  Both live on soft corals and are found in very restricted geographical ranges.  

The first, the Walea soft coral pygmy sahorse (Hippocampus waleananus) (Pictured right), is found only in the Togian islands of central Sulawesi, Indonesia.  I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks last year at Walea Resort who brought this amazing species to the attention of the scientific community.  Most often the pygmy is found between 4 - 20 m where its soft coral host is most abundant.

The second species has been named after Helmut Debelius who is well known as a coral reef naturalist.  H.debelius is the name of this new species that actually appears to be a dwarf seahorse rather than pygmy.  It lives on the abundant bright red Dendronephthea soft corals commonly seen in the Red Sea where it is endemic.

FiNS Article and New Site

The new FiNS site has just been launched.  FiNS is a great place to read about diving in the Asia-Pacific region so check out the new layout and features.  Of course you must read my feature 'Saving Nemo' which investigates the effects that the aquarium trade has had on reef fish populations and how it really is possible to keep marine fish in a manner that doesn't damage the reef and its inhabitants! 

Walea Marine Biology

Last year I did some work at Walea Resort in the Togian Islands of central Sulawesi, Indonesia.  They have posted some of the comments I had about their reefs, endemic pygmy seahorse Hippocampus waleananus and the recently described Pygmy Pipedragon Kyonemichthys rumengani.  Follow the links on each subject to read more!