<p>Fossils of a new species of pygmy pipehorse—a relative of the <a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/sea-horse/">seahorse</a>—have been discovered in <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/slovenia-guide/">Slovenia</a>, a new study says.</p><p>Scientists discovered the 1-inch-long (2.5-centimeter-long) species—dubbed <em>Hippotropiscis frenki</em>—in a fossil-rich region called the Tunjice Hills, where the team also found the <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/photogalleries/seahorse-fossils/">oldest known seahorse fossils in 2009</a>.</p><p>Pygmy pipehorses are thought to be an evolutionary link between seahorses and their close relatives, including pipefish and seadragons.</p><p>The animals share so many features that at first study leader<a href="http://www2.arnes.si/%7Ejzaloh/index.htm"> Jure Žalohar</a> and colleagues thought the newfound fossils belonged to another type of ancient seahorse.</p><p>Modern pygmy pipehorses also look and behave a lot like seahorses—pygmy pipehorse males, for instance, care for their fertilized eggs in a special pouch.</p><p>"The only major difference is that [pygmy pipehorses] do not swim upright," Žalohar, a geologist at the University of Ljubljana, said by email.</p><p><em>—Helen Scales</em></p>