南非發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種奇怪的小海馬

南非發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種奇怪的小海馬

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

在南非的索瓦納灣發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種以前在非洲水域從未見過的小海馬。

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.

事實上，根據(jù)本月發(fā)表在ZooKeys雜志上的研究，在珊瑚中發(fā)現(xiàn)的侏儒海馬是第一次在印度洋被發(fā)現(xiàn)。它最近的親戚出沒在5000英里外的東南亞水域。

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.

來自利茲大學的研究報告合著者馬爾滕·德·布勞沃在一份新聞稿中寫道:“這一發(fā)現(xiàn)表明，當研究人員和公眾一起工作時，它是多么有益。”“發(fā)現(xiàn)非洲第一只侏儒海馬提醒我們，可能還有其他未被發(fā)現(xiàn)的物種，而事實上我們對海馬家族知之甚少。”

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

“成為發(fā)現(xiàn)這種神奇生物的團隊的一員，絕對是一個職業(yè)生涯的亮點。”

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.

一直以來，人們都知道海馬的古怪——從雄性海馬負責懷孕，到它們與潛在伴侶一起表演的迷人水下華爾茲。但侏儒海馬設法添加了他們自己的特殊品牌的怪異。它們有一種特殊的消失技巧，這要歸功于它們的蜜棕色的顏色和紅色的尾巴，這給了它們一種天然的偽裝。事實上，在過去的20年里，科學家們只確定了8個已知物種中的7個。

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，人們是如何在熙熙攘攘的索瓦納灣(Sodwana Bay)水域中，發(fā)現(xiàn)一個拇指釘般大小的偽裝大師的呢?研究人員在新聞發(fā)布會上指出，去年，一名當?shù)貪撍畣T在珊瑚礁附近發(fā)現(xiàn)了這種小生物，并向他們提供了線索。

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

當研究小組進行調(diào)查時，他們確實發(fā)現(xiàn)了這種難以捉摸的生物在珊瑚中嬉戲。

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

“這就像在挪威發(fā)現(xiàn)袋鼠一樣，”海洋生物學家理查德·史密斯告訴《國家地理》雜志，他是這項研究的合著者。

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.

但近年來，海馬已經(jīng)養(yǎng)成了一種受歡迎的習慣，在不太可能出現(xiàn)的地方出現(xiàn)。2017年，它們出現(xiàn)在泰晤士河上——這條水道曾被認為污染嚴重，除了舊輪胎和塑料袋外，不適合存放任何東西。這與我們所知的海馬棲息的熱帶淺水水域大相徑庭。

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.

南非的沿海水域與其他海馬種群相距數(shù)千英里，對于侏儒海馬來說，這里可能不太可能是它們的家。它的學名是海馬美人魚，在當?shù)氐目扑_語和祖魯語中是“在這里”的意思。這表明這些生物并不是新來者，而是等待被發(fā)現(xiàn)的長期居民。

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

如果是這樣的話，還有什么其他的奇跡可能潛藏在這些豐富的水域中呢?

"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.

“這是一個多么激動人心的旅程——從在海灘上聊天到發(fā)現(xiàn)第一只南非侏儒海馬!”研究報告的合著者Louw Claassens寫道。“南非的沿海水域有很多東西可以提供，希望這個小侏儒只是更多令人驚奇的海馬和管道魚發(fā)現(xiàn)的開始。

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

“這應該是對所有潛水者的號召——新的發(fā)現(xiàn)可能就在下一個珊瑚礁附近。”