Marine biologists have identified a new species of ghost pipefish, Solenostomus snuffleupagus, from the southwest Pacific Ocean, named for its resemblance to the Sesame Street character Mr. Snuffleupagus. The fish’s body is covered in long skin filaments and has a downturned snout, creating a shaggy profile that mimics red macroalgae and allows it to drift undetected in currents. First spotted in 1993 near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the species remained misclassified for decades due to its similarity to other ghost pipefish.

Advanced imaging and genetic testing in 2022, based on specimens from Papua New Guinea, confirmed it as a distinct lineage that diverged 18 million years ago. The species has 36 vertebrae—the most of any ghost pipefish—and females carry eggs in a specialized pouch formed by fused pelvic fins. These anatomical details were published in the Journal of Fish Biology on May 10, 2026, by taxonomists Graham Short and David Harasti.

Most surprisingly, internal scans revealed a small fish skeleton in its stomach, overturning the long-held belief that ghost pipefish are passive filter feeders. Instead, this species is an active ambush predator, forcing a reevaluation of food web dynamics in coral reef ecosystems across the western Pacific.