Leafy Sea Dragon
Phycodurus eques (Gunther, 1865)
Range: Coastal Southern Australia
Habitat: Reefs, Seaweed Beds, Seagrass Meadows
Diet: Small Invertebrates, Larval Fish
Social Grouping: Solitary or Paired
Reproduction: Female lays 250-300 eggs, which are carried by the male in a brood patch, located at the base of his tail. Eggs hatch after 6-8 weeks, at which young are completely independent. Sexually maturity reached at two years
Lifespan: 5-10 Years
Conservation Status: IUCN Near Threatened
- Body length is 35 centimeters, about half of which is consists of tail. Unlike the closely-related sea horses, the tail cannot be coiled and uncoiled
- Scaleless body is covered with hard, bony plates (each with a sharp spine for defense) yellow or green in color with pink banding. The long, thin head tapers into a pipe-like snout.
- The entire body is covered with elaborate leaf-like appendages, camouflaging the sea dragon by making it resemble seaweed
- Very slow swimmers due to plating on the skin (will sometimes remain sedentary for days at a time), only able to move forward with their ventral and pelvic fins (the pectoral fins are used for maneuvering)
- Feeds by drawing water into its mouth and sucking out mysid shrimp, plankton, and other small marine animals
- Threats include habitat loss, pollution, and over-collection by humans, especially for Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Captive breeding of the species has so far been unsuccessful, despite major advances in husbandry
- Official marine emblem of South Australia
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