Comparison of live specimens of A Hippocampus japapigu photographed off Hachijo-jima Island, Japan (Richard Smith), and its most similar congener B Hippocampus pontohi photographed off Tomia Island, southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia (Richard Smith). Note the differences in the anterodorsal area of the trunk in H. japapigu vs. H. pontohi: single vs. double pair of bilaterally paired wing-like protrusions behind the head, raised dorsal ridge vs. laterodorsal flat surface, and large and prominent vs. small eighth lateral trunk ridge spine. Abbreviations: SP-WP, single pair of bilaterally paired wing-like protrusions; DP-WP, double pair of bilaterally paired wing-like protrusions; DR, raised dorsal ridge; FS, flat dorsal surface; P-8LTR, prominent eighth lateral trunk ridge spine; S-8LTR, small eighth lateral trunk ridge spine.

 
 
  Part of: Short G, Smith R, Motomura H, Harasti D, Hamilton H (2018) Hippocampus japapigu, a new species of pygmy seahorse from Japan, with a redescription of H. pontohi (Teleostei, Syngnathidae). ZooKeys 779: 27-49. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.779.24799