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 Although seadragons resemble seahorses in appearance, they are more closely related to pipefish. Seadragons were named after the dragons of Chinese legends.
Seadragons grow to a length of 20 cm after one year, reaching their mature length at two years.
They also have an amazing colour pattern, comprising of an orange-red background colour, bright blue stripes, and many white spots and yellow markings.
Although they are fish, seadragons do not have a bony internal skeleton; instead they have an armored body protected by bony plates. Weedy seadragons are characterised by leaf-like appendages that decorate their body. Unlike seahorses that have curly prehensile tails (grasping), seadragons have a long straight non-prehensile tail.
As well as looking like seaweed, seadragons move in a similar swaying motion, as seaweed would in the water current. They are not strong swimmers, having tiny fins on either side of their head and a long shimmering dorsal fin along their back, which propels their body through the water.
Weedy Seadragons resemble a piece of drifting seaweed, as the result of their leaf-like appendages that help them to blend in with their surroundings. This form of camouflage is known as mimicry, where the animal looks and acts like seaweed.
As in seahorses, seadragons reverse roles when rearing young. The female lays her eggs under the male’s tail. He has the responsibility of looking after the eggs. Eggs remain under the adult male’s tail for about two months, and then hatch. The juveniles grow rapidly, attaining a size of about 70 mm after just three weeks. While they have been found in depths of up to 50 m, they are more often seen in shallow coastal waters.
Weedy Seadragons are known to inhabit rocky reefs, seaweed beds, seagrass meadows and around any structures colonised by seaweed. They are commonly found around pier pylons, sheltering in the shallows. Found in depths of 3 – 50m.
Seadragons feed on plankton, larval fishes and small shrimp-like crustaceans, called mysids, sucking up their prey in their long snouts that end in a small toothless mouth.
Rough storms and weather conditions destroy habitat, penguins prey on seadragons when other food sources are low, and the disturbance through natural and human activities on their natural environments also cause decline in seadragon numbers.
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Animal Fact Sheets - Want to learn more about some of Australasia's unique fauna? Take a look at these fact sheets. Great for school projects! |
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Regional Education Policy - This policy produced by the education group is a formulation of principles, guidelines and minimum standards for education for the many different sectors involved in zoos, parks and aquaria. |
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Education Specialist Advisory Group - An overview of the Zoo and Aquarium Association and education. Learn about the activities of the Association's Education Specialist Advisory Group. | |