Local knowledge guides rediscovery of spinach pipefish, not seen in four decades
By mid-June, Jerrica Agebido was staring at disappointment. His nearly two-week-long, exhausting search for a mysterious fish that hasn’t been seen by scientists for nearly four decades was drawing to a close. His team of researchers had braved Papua New Guinea’s hot, humid summer days, meandering along the Sepik River’s course by boat and canoe […]
In mid-June, Jerrica Agebido faced disheartenment as his extensive, two-week-long quest to locate the elusive spinach pipefish neared its end. The researchers he led had navigated the sweltering, humid summer days along the Sepik River, paddling by boat and canoe, yet the mysterious fish remained elusive. Agebido, a researcher at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology and the New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, expressed their dwindling hope in an email.
The spinach pipefish (Microphis spinachioides) is a small freshwater creature, similar in appearance to seahorses, with an elongated snout for capturing prey. Measuring up to 15 centimeters in length, it is known to inhabit the Sepik River, blending in with water lilies and other plants near the riverbanks. This species, a close relative of seahorses and seadragons, has long been shrouded in mystery, as it hasn't been observed since 1985.
The last assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016 classified it as data deficient, leaving many aspects of its biology and ecology unknown. The only known specimen, upon which the species' taxonomy is based, is currently housed in a museum, underscoring the urgent need to rediscover this enigmatic fish.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
