Biologists Name Solenostomus snuffleupagus After 23-Year Search for Hairy Orange Fish
Updated
Updated · The Dodo · Jun 5
Biologists Name Solenostomus snuffleupagus After 23-Year Search for Hairy Orange Fish
2 articles · Updated · The Dodo · Jun 5
Summary
Dave Harasti and Graham Short identified and named a new fish species, Solenostomus snuffleupagus, after Harasti first photographed the hairy-looking orange animal 23 years ago in Papua New Guinea.
A 2020 dive on the Great Barrier Reef finally produced another sighting—this time a pair of the fish—giving the biologists enough evidence to confirm it was an undocumented species.
The species stands out within its genus for hairlike tendrils and a long snout, features that inspired a name referencing Sesame Street's Mr. Snuffleupagus.
Those shaggy filaments also function as camouflage, making the fish resemble drifting algae and likely helping explain why divers had overlooked it for decades.