南非发现了一种奇怪的小海马

南非发现了一种奇怪的小海马

A tiny species of seahorse never seen in African waters before has been discovered in South Africa's Sodwana Bay.

在南非的索瓦纳湾发现了一种以前在非洲水域从未见过的小海马。

In fact, the pygmy seahorses found among the coral are the first ever known in the Indian Ocean, according to research published this month in the journal ZooKeys. Its nearest relative haunts the waters of Southeast Asia, about 5,000 miles away.

事实上，根据本月发表在ZooKeys杂志上的研究，在珊瑚中发现的侏儒海马是第一次在印度洋被发现。它最近的亲戚出没在5000英里外的东南亚水域。

The scientific name for this pygmy seahorse is Hippocampus nalu, which means 'here it is' in the local Xhosa and Zulu languages. (Photo: Richard Smith/OceanRealmImages.com)

"This discovery shows how rewarding it can be when researchers and the general public work together," study co-author Maarten De Brauwer from the University of Leeds notes in a press release. "Finding Africa's first pygmy seahorse is a reminder that there could be other undiscovered species out there and the fact we know very little about the seahorse family.

来自利兹大学的研究报告合著者马尔滕·德·布劳沃在一份新闻稿中写道:“这一发现表明，当研究人员和公众一起工作时，它是多么有益。”“发现非洲第一只侏儒海马提醒我们，可能还有其他未被发现的物种，而事实上我们对海马家族知之甚少。”

"Being a part of the team that discovered this amazing creature is definitely a career highlight."

“成为发现这种神奇生物的团队的一员，绝对是一个职业生涯的亮点。”

Seahorses have long been known for their weirdness — from males handling pregnancy duties to the mesmerizing underwater waltz they perform with potential mates. But pygmy seahorses manage to add their own special brand of weirdness. They have a particular knack for disappearing altogether, thanks to their honey-brown coloring and a reddish tail, which gives them a natural camouflage. In fact, over the last 20 years, scientists have only identified seven of eight known species.

一直以来，人们都知道海马的古怪——从雄性海马负责怀孕，到它们与潜在伴侣一起表演的迷人水下华尔兹。但侏儒海马设法添加了他们自己的特殊品牌的怪异。它们有一种特殊的消失技巧，这要归功于它们的蜜棕色的颜色和红色的尾巴，这给了它们一种天然的伪装。事实上，在过去的20年里，科学家们只确定了8个已知物种中的7个。

So how did anyone manage to spot a thumb-nailed sized master of camouflage in the bustling waters of Sodwana Bay? Researchers note in the press release they were tipped off last year by a local diver, who came across the tiny critter near a coral reef.

那么，人们是如何在熙熙攘攘的索瓦纳湾(Sodwana Bay)水域中，发现一个拇指钉般大小的伪装大师的呢?研究人员在新闻发布会上指出，去年，一名当地潜水员在珊瑚礁附近发现了这种小生物，并向他们提供了线索。

When the team investigated, sure enough they spotted the elusive creature frolicking among the corals.

当研究小组进行调查时，他们确实发现了这种难以捉摸的生物在珊瑚中嬉戏。

"It's like finding a kangaroo in Norway," marine biologist Richard Smith, who co-authored the study, tells National Geographic.

“这就像在挪威发现袋鼠一样，”海洋生物学家理查德·史密斯告诉《国家地理》杂志，他是这项研究的合著者。

But in recent years, seahorses have been making a welcome habit of turning up in unlikely places. In 2017, they turned up in the River Thames — a waterway once thought too polluted to host anything beyond old tires and plastic bags. And it's a far cry from the shallow, tropical waters seahorses are known to inhabit.

但近年来，海马已经养成了一种受欢迎的习惯，在不太可能出现的地方出现。2017年，它们出现在泰晤士河上——这条水道曾被认为污染严重，除了旧轮胎和塑料袋外，不适合存放任何东西。这与我们所知的海马栖息的热带浅水水域大相径庭。

South Africa's coastal waters, thousands of miles from other seahorse populations, may not be as unlikely a home for the pygmy seahorse. It's scientific name is Hippocampus nalu, which means "here it is" in the local Xhosa and Zulu. That would suggest the creatures aren't so much newcomers, but rather long-time residents who have just been waiting to be found.

南非的沿海水域与其他海马种群相距数千英里，对于侏儒海马来说，这里可能不太可能是它们的家。它的学名是海马美人鱼，在当地的科萨语和祖鲁语中是“在这里”的意思。这表明这些生物并不是新来者，而是等待被发现的长期居民。

And if that's the case, what other wonder may lurk in those teeming waters?

如果是这样的话，还有什么其他的奇迹可能潜藏在这些丰富的水域中呢?

"What an exciting journey — from a chat on a beach to finding the first South African pygmy seahorse!" study co-author Louw Claassens notes. "The coastal waters of South Africa have a lot to offer and hopefully this little pygmy is just the start of more amazing seahorse and pipefish discoveries.

“这是一个多么激动人心的旅程——从在海滩上聊天到发现第一只南非侏儒海马!”研究报告的合著者Louw Claassens写道。“南非的沿海水域有很多东西可以提供，希望这个小侏儒只是更多令人惊奇的海马和管道鱼发现的开始。

"This should be a call to action for all divers — new discoveries might just be around the next reef."

“这应该是对所有潜水者的号召——新的发现可能就在下一个珊瑚礁附近。”