USA
"After years of studying the true pygmy seahorses, I finally encountered this dwarf seahorse during some downtime at a Florida conference," says Smith. "Although their conservation status is ‘Least Concern’, few people see them in the wild due to their incredible camouflage. The true pygmies have several adaptations for life in miniature, and although Hippocampus zosterae is equally small, it doesn’t share these extreme specialisations. Endemic to Florida and Gulf of Mexico waters, these tiny seahorses require a keen eye to locate. I found a pair thriving in 1-2 feet of water. This female was accompanied by her pregnant male partner, but only her colour matched the emerald green Halimeda algae she was clinging to."
Richard Smith
Ocean Photographer Of The Year
