Satomi's pygmy seahorse

Hippocampus satomiae

Sighting evidence at Weda Bay Reefs, Halmahera

Photo: John Sear · CC BY

Among the tiniest vertebrates on earth at barely 1.4 cm, Satomi's pygmy seahorse was formally described in 2008 from specimens collected in Indonesian waters including the Halmahera region. It associates with Muricella and Annella sea fans in moderate depths, and its minute size means most divers swim past dozens without realising. The species name honours Satomi Onishi, a dive guide who first brought the specimens to scientific attention — a reminder of how citizen science and dive operator knowledge drive taxonomic discovery in remote Coral Triangle sites.

Evidence at this site

0 records within 25 km

Confidence: low

No date on file

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.