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    A keeper's shift at Oceanarium Bournemouth in Bournemouth, England started off with a very small surprise. According to the (U.K.) Daily Mail, the worker found a group of small black specks at the top of one of the tanks, and upon closer inspection discovered the dots were minuscule lined-seahorse babies. These tiny sea creatures are the first success of the oceanarium's breeding program for this greatly endangered species.

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    The birth came as a surprise because Oceanarium Bournemouth has had their eight adult lined seahorses for only a month, meaning at least one of them came into the facility pregnant. Luckily, the keepers have trained eyes. Otherwise the pipsqueaks could have been mistaken for plankton. 

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    At birth, the itty-bitty babies measure only three millimeters, and are easily dwarfed by small objects like a pencil tip. Oceanarium Bournemouth welcomed 15 lined-seahorse babies overall, each perfectly formed and healthy.

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    The newborns won't stay tiny forever. The babies grow quickly, with adults usually measuring around five inches at maturity. 

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    To help them grow, the babies are being fed a type of plankton called Artemia, better known as sea monkeys.

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    Next: More Cute Seahorses!

    The lined seahorse is native to western Atlantic countries, but populations have been dying out over time, leading to captive breeding programs like the one at Oceanarium Bournemouth.