A National Academy of Marine Research (NAMR) team last month found a species of pygmy seahorse for the first time near islands in Penghu County, the institute said yesterday.
The pygmy seahorse, known as Hippocampus bargibanti, was discovered 30 nautical miles (55.6km) southwest of Cimei (七美), the southernmost island in the Penghu archipelago, during a research trip, the academy said.
It is the first time the species — which is beloved by coral reef photographers for its “adorable” appearance — has been found in the area, it added.
Photo courtesy of the National Academy of Marine Research
The discovery indicates that the area of the Taiwan Strait where the species was spotted is suitable as a natural habitat for the pygmy seahorse, NAMR president Chiu Yung-fang (邱永芳) said.
The institute would continue its work to develop a better understanding of the area, which marine researchers did not begin to explore until last year due to strong currents and complex ocean floor terrain, she said.
During the trip, researchers used a small dredge net to collect samples from the seafloor, the institute said, adding that this is a common method of collecting samples from benthic zones.
Among the samples collected, the researchers found a pygmy seahorse, which was already dead, it said, adding that the animal would be used as a research specimen.
Pygmy seahorses have previously been found around Taiwan. According to the Fish Database of Taiwan, which is managed by Academia Sinica, the species was first discovered in Taiwanese waters in 2007, near Green Island (綠島).
Since then, pygmy seahorses have been spotted by recreational divers off northeastern, southeastern and southwestern Taiwan.
The pygmy seahorse is a tiny sea creature that measures less than 2cm in length, has a pinkish or yellowish body and usually attaches itself to vibrant corals, where it feeds on plankton.
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) yesterday apologized after the suicide of a civil servant earlier this month and announced that a supervisor accused of workplace bullying would be demoted. On Nov. 4, a 39-year-old information analyst at the Workforce Development Agency’s (WDA) northern branch, which covers greater Taipei and Keelung, as well as Yilan, Lienchiang and Kinmen counties, was found dead in their office. WDA northern branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容), who has been accused of involvement in workplace bullying, would be demoted to a nonsupervisory position, Ho told a news conference in Taipei. WDA Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) said he would
RSS