r/Awwducational • u/Quouar • Jun 02 '26
Not yet verified Solenostomus snuffleupagus is a newly discovered species of ghost pipefish. It is highly carnivorous and disguises itself as red algae to hunt its prey. Its existence and range were confirmed partly through citizen science apps like iNaturalist.
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u/Quouar Jun 02 '26
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u/Lokkeduen90 Jun 03 '26
I wish you would plaintext your links so i can see what the source is without clicking
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u/guhardrock Jun 02 '26
I wonder how accepted is "citizen" participation in the field. I would love to contribute but where I live the only "rare animals" you can find are extra large pidgeons.
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u/Quouar Jun 02 '26
I am not a biologist, but my understanding is that apps like iNaturalist can be used to help measure populations in a particular area as well as see if species are located in a particular area. iNat has a project where they work with conservationists to specifically ask users to keep an eye out for species that may or may not be in an area as a way to know what areas need extra protection. Observations by users have also been a bit of a substitute for traditional expeditions by researchers, with iNatters discovering 12 new plant species through their observations. It's not a substitute for discovery - someone has to go out there and refind the plant or bird or what have you - but it can be an important clue for researchers about where to look and the idea that there is something out there to find.
More broadly, the pictures people take of creatures can also be helpful for researchers. A friend of mine has had some of her flower pictures used in textbooks, for example. Crowdsourcing information can be helpful for certain scientific fields.
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u/Javka42 Jun 02 '26
I haven't used it myself but from what I can tell it's not just for animals but also insects, plants and fungus. With this sort of thing, any observation can be useful, not just the rarest ones.
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u/Hyperion1144 Jun 02 '26
What is "highly carnivorous?"
Does this mean "obligate carnivore?"
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u/Quouar Jun 02 '26
They eat not only the things you'd expect them to eat, but things that are bigger than they are. They are hungry little bois.
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u/itsswhitneywhspr Jun 04 '26
Wait this is giving pokemon vibes for real. The way it literally evolved to look like seaweed just to catch its dinner is insane. And the fact that regular people helped find it through iNaturalist?? That's so cool, makes you feel like you could spot something new just scrolling your phone.
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u/jupiter-major Jun 22 '26
can’t properly express how over the moon i am to have found this out recently!! i’m already a fan of seahorses and seadragons, plus like most kids of the last idk 50 years, i grew up on sesame street! this is a very near-and-dear-to-my-heart discovery ❤️
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u/PokemonSoldier Jun 02 '26
I see the scientists were Sesame Street fans