Leafy Sea Dragon

The Leafy Sea Dragon belongs in the family Syngnathidae, the same family that sea horse and pipefish are in. Just like sea horses, sea dragons are considered marine fish. Found along the southern and western coast of Australia. You will find them on sand patches, kelp forest and covered rocks, as well as sea grass. Leafy sea dragons are one of the most ornately camouflaged creatures in the world. With their leaf-like protrusions all over, it is used to help this species to blend with seaweed around them. Unlike seahorses, sea dragons use the one pectoral and dorsal fin they have to move (this fin is so thin it’s almost transparent). Just like seahorses, sea dragon males are responsible for childbearing. With seahorses we saw the males have a pouch, but with sea dragons they have a spongy brood patch on the underside of their tail. There is where the females will deposit their eggs and become fertilized during transfer. Once they are hatch, leafy sea dragons are completely independent, using their pipe-like snout to suck up prey like small crustaceans like amphipods, mysid shrimp, plankton and larva fish.

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