Adorned with gossamer, leaf-shaped appendages over their entire bodies, they are perfectly outfitted to blend in with the seaweed and kelp formations they live amongst. Endemic to the waters off south and east Australia, leafy sea dragons are closely related to seahorses and pipefish.
Leafies are generally brown to yellow in body color with spectacular olive-tinted appendages. Leafies are shaped to give themselves near-perfect camouflage in seaweed. But the leaf-like structures are not used for swimming.
To move, this species uses two fins—one pectoral and one dorsal—that are so thin they are almost transparent. As with sea horses, sea dragon males are responsible for childbearing.
But instead of a pouch, like sea horses have, male sea dragons have a spongy brood patch on the underside of the tail where females deposit their bright-pink eggs during mating.
The eggs are fertilized during the transfer from the female to the male. The males incubate the eggs and carry them to term, releasing miniature sea dragons into the water after about four to six weeks.
Sea dragons survive on tiny crustaceans such as mysids, or sea lice. It is not known if they are preyed upon by other animals. They are, however, frequently taken by divers seeking to keep them as pets. In fact, such takings shrank their numbers so critically by the early s that the Australian government placed a complete protection on the species. Pollution and habitat loss have also hurt their numbers, and they are currently listed as near threatened.
All rights reserved. A leafy sea dragon photographed at Dallas World Aquarium in Texas. Common Name: Leafy Sea Dragon. Events Home. Full List Calendar View Upcoming. Virtual Live Streaming Online Academy. Exhibits Home. Learn Home. Give Home. Membership Donor Circles. Corporate Circle Sponsorship. Sustainability For All. Sustainability For All Home. Saving Species. Saving Species Home.
Exit Nav. Animal Database. Habitat These seadragons inhabit temperate coastal waters of southern Australia where water temperatures are seasonally between 13 to 19 o C 55 to 67 o F. Physical Characteristics Members of the Sygnathidae family have fused jaws and rigid bodies. Size The maximum length of the leafy seadragon is about 35 cm 14 in.
Diet Sea dragons do not have teeth or a stomach; therefore they eat almost constantly while covering wide areas searching for prey. Reproduction Like their seahorse relatives, male seadragons brood the eggs, which are incubated on a brood pouch on the underside of the tail. Behavior Usually solitary, these fish move to deeper water during the Australian winter when food is scarce. Adaptation Slow-swimming and with fragile bodies, seadragons depend on camouflage to hide them from predators.
Special Notes The leafy sea dragon is the official marine emblem of the state of South Australia. Leafy seadragons are not on exhibit at the Aquarium. Its favourite food is mysid shrimps or sea lice. These shrimps feed on red algae seaweeds that thrive in the shade of the kelp forests where the sea dragons live.
Threats: Because leafy sea dragons are such fascinating and unique creatures, some people illegally collect them for their aquariums they are totally protected. Unfortunately, leafy sea dragons that are removed by divers usually die quickly because their captors do not provide them with the correct live food daily.
Other major threats to leafy sea dragons include pollution and excessive fertiliser run-off, as well as loss of their seagrass habitat.
Behaviour: Being slow moving, they rely heavily on camouflage for survival, but are also equipped with several long sharp spines along the side of the body which are thought to be used to defend themselves against attacking fish. They are also able to change colour to match their surroundings. Leafy sea dragons are fascinating to watch and their movements appear to mimic the swaying movements of seaweed and kelp.
They steer and turn by moving the tiny, translucent fins along the side of the head and move through the water using the dorsal fins along the spine. They are one of the only animals in the world that hide by moving! Sea dragons have eyes that can move independently of one another while one eye looks one way the other one can look in a completely different direction. Breeding and caring for young: The most unusual fact about the leafy sea dragon is that the male becomes pregnant and gives birth to live young.
During mating the female lays to eggs onto a special brood patch on the underside of the male's tail, where they are fertilised.
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