Robust ghostpipefish

The robust ghostpipefish (Solenostomus cyanopterus) is a curious relative of seahorses and pipefishes that has raised camouflage to an art form: in colour, shape and even "raggedness" its body imitates a dead seagrass blade or a drifting scrap of algae. It may be greenish, brown, grey or nearly black, with tattered skin flaps along its edges – it hovers head-down above the bottom and lets the surge rock it back and forth, exactly the way the water would carry a real leaf.

Its life history is unusual too: it spends most of its life as a larva in the open ocean and only settles on the reef for the breeding season – the adult stage often lasts just a few weeks. Unlike in seahorses, here the female runs the nursery: her greatly enlarged pelvic fins close into a brood pouch in which she carries the eggs until hatching. It feeds on tiny shrimps and crustaceans, slurped up through its long tubular snout.

Around Hurghada it is a rare, seasonal guest, appearing mostly in late summer and autumn, alone or in pairs, over rubble bottoms near seagrass patches and soft corals. Finding one is a serious challenge – even experienced guides double-check every piece of "drifting debris" – which is exactly why it counts as one of Hurghada's greatest macro trophies.