Footage of a little-known species of seahorse has been released for the first time by researchers.

The video from the Zoological Society of London shows a vibrantly coloured West African seahorse, or hippocampus algiricus, bobbing in the water off the coast of Senegal.

The seahorse was caught by fishermen to study more closely and then released, unharmed.

It forms part of a joint investigation between ZSL's Project Seahorse, Imperial College London, and the University of British Columbia into West Africa's burgeoning seahorse trade.

Seahorses are primarily used in traditional 

No research has been done on the species, and nothing is known about its habitat, life cycle, or population status.

"That is why this study, the first of its kind, is so important for future efforts in marine conservation," said researcher Kate West.