CT scans and anatomical analysis confirmed Solenostomus snuffleupagus as a distinct new hairy ghost pipefish from the southwest Pacific, formally described by David Harasti and Graham Short in the Journal of Fish Biology.
The 1-to-1.5-inch fish is now the seventh known ghost pipefish species; researchers said its long snout, shaggy filaments and extra vertebrae separate it from close relative S. paegnius.
Short said the species likely uses its red, algae-like appearance as camouflage, helping explain why the small and elusive fish has gone largely unnoticed by divers and scientists.
The team said the species diverged from related ghost pipefishes about 18 million years ago, underscoring how little is still known about this seahorse-related group.