Shortpouch Pygmy Pipehorse

Acentronura breviperula

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Syngnathiformes
Family: Syngnathidae
Genus: Acentronura
Species: Acentronura breviperula

The shortpouch pygmy pipehorse (Acentronura breviperula) is a tiny relative of the seahorse that looks like a seahorse stretched into a pipefish, with a curled, grasping tail. Its head is angled slightly downward and its skin is often covered in small fleshy filaments.

Usually only 3-6 cm long, it wraps its tail around algae, seagrass or hydroids and sways with the surge, coloured green, brown or tan to match its perch. It feeds on tiny crustaceans, and males brood the eggs in a short pouch under the tail.

It occurs in shallow waters of the Indo-West Pacific, including the Philippines, where it is found in algae and seagrass patches on sandy slopes, but its size and camouflage make it a true challenge to spot.