New Hairy Ghost Pipefish Named for Sesame Street's Mr. Snuffleupagus
Marine biologists have described a new species of hairy ghost pipefish, Solenostomus snuffleupagus, from the Southwest Pacific. Measuring about 1–1.5 inches, it’s the seventh known ghost pipefish and is distinguished by extra vertebrae and distinctive hair-like filaments that aid camouflage, suggesting a divergence from its relatives around 18 million years ago. The species’ shaggy, red-algae–like appearance led to comparisons with Sesame Street’s Mr. Snuffleupagus in media coverage.
