Japanese Pygmy Seahorse

This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: 28 tail rings; 14 dorsal fin rays; 9 pectoral fin rays; 4 subdorsal rings; bilaterally paired wing-like protrusions are formed by a pair of large truncate spines projecting laterad on first superior trunk ridge; elevated dorsal ridge is formed by unique triangular bony mounds dorsally on second, the third and fourth trunk rings with the posterior mound less pronounced; a large and prominent spine projecting laterad on eighth lateral trunk ridge (Ref. 118476).Description: Colour when alive: the head, trunk and tail are brown, with overlay of reticulate (net-like) irregular quadrilateral and pentagonal skin formations, brown or white, white outline, entire surface of head and body peppered with tiny black dots; elevated dorsal ridge on second to fourth superior trunk rings, engorged red, reticulate color pattern diffuse or may be absent; dorsal fin base, red, no reticulate pattern; tail rings with one row of rounded quadrilaterals, one quadrilateral per ring, brown with white outline; the fifth superior ridge spine red; fifth and eighth lateral trunk ridge spines are white; eighth inferior trunk ridge spine is red; fifth, ninth, 12th superior tail ridge spines are red, every fourth ring thereafter have two dorsolateral color spots, red; dermal appendages on coronet anteriorly (Ref. 118476).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 14

This species was not associated with a particular host. It has been observed in association with mixed soft coral, Halimeda sp. (coralline algae) and hydroids on rocky reef walls and large boulders in both exposed and semi-sheltered locations (Ref. 118476)..