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112
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WINTER 2012
By Richard Smith
www.OceanRealmImages.com
CAmerA:
Nikon D2Xs in Subal housing, Nikon 105mm f/2.8 lens,
Inon Z240 strobes
SettingS:
1/125 sec @ f/22, ISO 100
LoCAtion:
Wakatobi Dive Resort, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia
F
or many months, while
doing research for my
Ph.D. on the biology
and conservation of pygmy
seahorses, I had been trying
to catch these tiny fish in
flagrante. Reaching only three-
fourths of an inch long as fully
grown adults, it is perhaps not
surprising that I had missed
this most private of moments
in the life of a pygmy. Luckily,
however, only half an hour
after watching a male Denise’s
pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus
denise) give birth, my patience
finally paid off.
The male (right), still bearing
stretch marks after releasing his
previous brood, began to court
his mate by vigorously shaking
next to her. Moments later, the
pair rose up from their seafan
home and, following a few failed
attempts, grasped each other
by the tail. After a bond was
established, the female (left),
swollen with eggs, began to
push the clutch into the male’s
brood pouch. The whole process
lasted only 45 seconds before
the couple separated.
I was able to confirm that,
like their larger cousins, male
rather than female pygmies do
indeed brood the young. My
research also highlighted the
sensitivity of these animals to
bright lights and the extremely
delicate nature of their seafan
homes. The best ways divers
can reduce their impact are
by limiting the number of
photographs taken using a
flash and avoiding contact with
the seafan.
AD
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