New Species of Seahorse Discovered...Fifteen Years Ago
A new species of seahorse has been identified- that is, after siting in a small Australian museum for over fifteen years!
Collected off of the western coast of Australia in 1995, the seahorse went unnoticed on the museum’s shelves until 2006, when an employee spotted the tiny fish's unusual quality: unlike any other known seahorse, this mystery specimen lacked any sign of a dorsal fin.
Named Hippocampus paradoxus in homage to its confusing form and discovery, the seahorse was confirmed to be a new species shortly after, by a series of CT scans conducted by Ralph Foster, the staff member at the who made the initial discovery.
'I found it on the shelves in 2006 and realized then that it was very unusual and started research that included CT scanning the specimen in order to get 3D images of its skeleton,” explains Foster. “It seems that this one has never previously - or subsequently - been found,” he added.
Perhaps this startling discovery is a reminder that it's not too early to start 'spring cleaning'- you never know what you might find while dusting off your shelves.
