Scientists Describe 5cm Ghost Pipefish as New Species Solenostomus snuffleupagus

7 articles · Updated · CBC Sports · May 21

Two decades after a 2003 sighting in Papua New Guinea, researchers formally identified Solenostomus snuffleupagus as a new ghost pipefish species in the Journal of Fish Biology.
The 4-5cm fish was named for its resemblance to Sesame Street's Mr. Snuffleupagus—orange-brown coloring, shaggy filaments and a long snout—and it camouflages itself as red algae on coral reefs.
CT scans of specimens collected in 1993 in the Torres Strait helped confirm the species, while diver reports and iNaturalist records indicate it ranges across the southwestern Pacific, including Australia, Tonga and New Caledonia.
Stomach scans also showed tiny fish skeletons, indicating the seemingly delicate seahorse relative is a predator rather than a crustacean-only feeder.
The find highlights how elusive reef species can sit undescribed in collections for decades, and the researchers say they are already studying another Pacific ghost pipefish for formal naming.

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