Acquainted with one of the beautiful creatures of seabed

You must already know the name of sea horses, small animals that come from the ocean. But do you also recognize the name of pygmy sea horse or a Pygmy Seahorse? Yes, Pygmy Seahorse is real, and in Indonesia too, we can find it in some places, such as Bali, Sulawesi and Papua. Pygmy Seahorse and also has several types, one of which is Bargibanti pygmy seahorse.

Hippocampus bargibanti (these images were captured in North Sulawesi, Indonesia). (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1OBKx45)

Hippocampus bargibanti, also known as a bargibanti sea horse or dwarf hippocampus, is the seahorse of the family Syngnathidae which can be found in the west central Pacific Ocean, including Indonesia.

Hippocampus bargibanti.  
(Picture from: http://bit.ly/1OBKx45)

A unique animals has a small size, typically less than 2 cm, and live attached to the sea fans (gorginians). There are two color variations are known, which is gray with red tubercles, and yellow with orange tubercles.

Similar to the sea fan coral where they lived, and camouflaged, in order to defend themselves from the predators. And because their camouflage also, the species is not found, until finally its host gorgonian examined in the laboratory. Large, rounded tubercles covering the body and in accordance with the color and shape of gorgonian coral polyps its host species, while the body according gorgonian stem.

But it is not known whether the individual can change colors if they change residence or not. Although the ability to change color according to their surroundings, there are seven species of sea horses, such as Hippocampus whitei.

Pregnant Hippocampus bargibanti. (Picture from:
http://bit.ly/1OBKx45)

The Pygmy seahorse characteristics together with other sea horses, including meat that has a head, body, very short snout, and a long tail that can be wrapped around the landlady. This Bargibanti is also one of the smallest species of sea horses in the world.

An adult Bargibanti, usually found in pairs or groups of pairs, even record that ever recorded on camera, is up to 28 pygmy seahorses on a single gorgonian, and may be monogamous. Their breeding occurs throughout the year. Females lay eggs in its mother's pouch in her pocket. They will be fertilized by the male, and incubated until birth with an average gestational age of two weeks. Even in one birth, the male expel the female parent from their children numbering 34 bargibantis.

Very little data are known about the amount of pygmy seahorses, population trends, distribution, or primary predator. Therefore seven pygmy seahorses has been classified by the IUCN as an undescribed species as a whole (data deficient/less data). This classification means that not enough is known about the population and their lifestyle to make judgments about their conservation status information.

Because their unique color is an interesting and unusual, these tiny sea horse is much sought after as ornamental fish. But all seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) Which is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), and effective as of May 2004, restrict and regulate their international trade. Whereas in Australia, has been tighter regulation, the animals included in the Act Australian Wildlife Protection, so that now the necessary export licenses. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | INDAH.COM]

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