The Solenostomus snuffleupagus, a newly confirmed species of ghost pipefish was recently observed and collected from Queensland, Australia by Graham Short and David Harasti. Like the name suggests, the ghost pipefish was named after Mr. Snuffleupagus dude to it's shaggy appearance. Also, much like Snuffy, originally many people did not believe Solenostomus snuffleupagus was real because so few people have seen it and it remained outside of official scientific records.
Marine biologist Harasti first observed the fish in 2003 off Papua New Guinea. The earliest documentation of the species was in 1993 by the Australian Museum and Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
Ichthyologist and taxonomist Short said “It was so easy to say, ‘Yeah, this looks like Snuffleupagus.’ I mean, it’s almost identical. It’s scary,” in regards to the taxonomic name choice. Sesame Workshop was very supportive and pleased about the choice in name.
Bartels, Meghan. “A Real Mr. Snuffleupagus? Meet the Ocean’s Strangest New Fish Species.” Scientific American, May 15, 2026. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-real-mr-snuffleupagus-meet-the-oceans-strangest-new-fish-species/
Scott, Anastasia. “This Shaggy New Fish Looked so Much Like Snuffleupagus That Scientists Named It After Him.” Discover Magazine, May 15, 2026. https://www.discovermagazine.com/this-shaggy-new-fish-looked-so-much-like-snuffleupagus-that-scientists-named-it-after-him-49110
Short, Graham, and David Harasti. “Solenostomus snuffleupagus sp. nov., a hairy ghost pipefish (Teleostei: Solenostomidae) from the Southwest Pacific, with an integrative comparison to S. paegnius.” Journal of Fish Biology, May 10, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70497.
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