“You Can Easily Mistake Them For Floating Bits Of Algae”: Beautiful New “Snuffleupagus” Ghost Pipefish Named More Than 20 Years After It Was First Spotted

Summary: Scientists have finally named a sneaky, hairy-looking fish that hides in the ocean. Marine biologists first spotted this orange ghost pipefish over 20 years ago in Papua New Guinea. Because it looks and moves exactly like floating red algae, it was super hard to find again.

When researchers finally caught a pair in 2020, they accidentally ruined the bodies by preserving them in the wrong liquid! Luckily, they found an older pair saved in a museum since 1993. CT scans showed this fish has 36 backbones—more than any other ghost pipefish. The scans also revealed a surprise: these delicate-looking fish are actually fierce predators that swallow smaller fish whole! Because of its shaggy body and long snout, the scientists had a few drinks, emailed Sesame Street, and officially named it after Mr. Snuffleupagus.

For more details, see rssapp-iflscience-com at iflscience.com/its-beautiful-you-wouldnt-expect-it-to-be-a-predator-new-hairy-looking-ghost-pipefish-is-a-real-life-mr-snuffleupagus-83544 (opens in new tab)