One fish, two fish, a red fish — Mr. Snuffleupagus’s fish?
Scientists have officially named a newly discovered species of ghost pipefish after the beloved character from Sesame Street: Solenostomus snuffleupagus. The show’s creators have given their support for this unique name.
This fish, characterized by its long snout and orange, hair-like threads, was first encountered in 2001 by Dr. David Harassati, who conducts research at Port Stephens Fisheries Research Institute in Australia.
Dr. Harassati noted that he spotted the fish during a diving trip in Papua New Guinea. He felt somewhat “embarrassed” by its peculiar look and returned home to pages of fish identification books, only to find no matches.
He stated, “We realized that we might be dealing with something completely new to science.” He reflected on his career, recognizing how rare such moments are when one realizes they might be observing an unrecorded species.
Almost 20 years later, in 2020, Dr. Harassati learned of sightings in Cairns, Australia. He and his colleague Grant Short set off to find the elusive fish, successfully capturing both a male and a female for further study.
The ghost pipefish is now recognized as an entirely new species in a scientific journal.
Among the highlights of the research was the moment last year when Dr. Harassati and Short reached out to Sesame Workshop, asking if they could honorably name the fish after Mr. Snuffleupagus. They were thrilled to grant permission.
Dr. Rosemary Truglio from Sesame Workshop expressed, “Connecting science with imagination and discovery is a constant theme of ‘Sesame Street.'”
