Watch: This rare seahorse has just been discovered in Spain

Video

Screenshot from video of seahorse.

Watch: This rare seahorse has just been discovered in Spain

The first ever seahorse living around the Cíes Islands off the coast of Galicia has just been discovered. Now the little fellow needs a name.

Scientists for the Institute of Marine Investigations recorded a video of the first known seahorse living in the waters around the Cíes Islands, Galicia's scientific research portal GCiencia announced on Wednesday.

The video shows a small reddish seahorse drifting through the turquoise waters off the coast of Galicia, hanging onto plants with its tail and then meeting a diver, revealing that the sea creature is no bigger than a human finger.

This was the first time scientists had been able to confirm the existence of the Hippocampus hippocampus, or short-snouted seahorse in these waters.

This seahorse is normally a "discreet creature who does not show itself in public", according to GCiencia.

Before the photos and video were taken, scientists had only heard anecdotally of the sea horse living in the area.

The discovery was part of a project led by the Institute to observe and conserve the marine animal because it is "threatened in oceans all over the world" due to its sensitivity to pollution.

Now, local newspaper Faro de Vigo is asking readers to submit their ideas for what the little sea monster should be named.

"Faro wants to launch a campaign to baptize the seahorse that debuted in from of the scientists' cameras," the newspaper wrote on Wednesday.

The best submissions will be voted on over the weekend.