One Seahorse Species Was Actually 3 — Nobody Noticed for a Century - A-Z Animals

A research team examining bycatch from commercial fishing in southern India's Tuticorin harbor discovered that what scientists had classified for over a century as a single seahorse species was actually three distinct species. DNA testing and morphological analysis revealed differences in snout length and spine patterns among the tiny seahorses, leading researchers to formally identify two previously unknown species: *Hippocampus jayakari* and *H. amandavincentae*, named after seahorse conservation expert Dr. Amanda Vincent. The findings were published in the journal *Zootaxa* and highlight how routine examination of fishing bycatch can reveal overlooked marine biodiversity.