The Leafy Sea Dragon is a rare and beautiful marine fish found in shallow
temperate waters in Southern Australia, including around Rapid Bay.
Though closely related to sea horses, sea dragons have larger bodies
growing to 35cm long and leaf-like appendages which enable them to hide among
floating seaweed or kelp beds.
Like their smaller seahorse cousins, the male sea dragon carries and
incubates the eggs until they hatch. During mating the female deposits up to
250 eggs onto a patch on the underside of the male's tail. After
about eight weeks, the brood hatches and if they survive, they grow to a
maximim adult length of about 35cm. Realistically only about 5 per cent of sea
dragons survive the 2 years to maturity.
Leafy Sea Dragons feed on larval fishes and are very interesting to
watch. Their leafy appendages are not used for movement but rather as
camouflage among the sea weeds and grasses of their native environment.
Movement is achieved by the use of small translucent fins on the sides of their
heads and on their back. Sea Dragons vary in colour according to the depth at
which they live to match the sea weeds of that level.
Leafy Sea Dragons are a protected species and their export is strictly
regulated. Sea Dragons are very sensitive creatures and even slight changes in
their environment can result in their death which makes them difficult to
maintain in an aquarium situation.
