About Solenostomus halimeda Orr, Fritzsche & Randall, 2002
Solenostomus halimeda, commonly called the Halimeda ghost pipefish, reaches a maximum length of 6.5 cm (2.6 in), making it the smallest known ghost pipefish species. It is an uncommon species related to pipefishes and seahorses. Its body is most frequently green, but may also be red or match any other color of the algae or coral it hides among. As a cryptic species, it strongly resembles the macroalga Halimeda in appearance. This species can be distinguished by its large head, which is roughly the same length as the rest of its body. Its caudal fin is small, and matches the dorsal and pectoral fins in both size and shape. Solenostomus halimeda inhabits the Indian Ocean and Western Indo-Pacific, with a range extending from the Maldives to the Marshall Islands. It is a reef-associated species that lives at depths up to 23 m (75 ft).
