Syngnathidae

Walea pygmy seahorse

Hippocampus waleananus

Clinging to soft corals

• Tropical
• Regional distribution
• Marine fish
• Pacific Ocean
• Southeast Asia
• Other
• Small
• Tropical fish

Hippocampus waleananus, the Walea pygmy seahorse, is a species of seahorse endemic to the Togian Islands in Indonesia, and is associated with specific soft corals. The species was described in 2009 from a single specimen which was found close to the island of Walea. A 2016 classification considered it a synonym of Hippocampus satomiae, Lourie & Kuiter, 2008 due to lack of sufficient morphological differences, but following a reevaluation it is now recognised as a distinct species.