Critter Science
  • Store
  • Zoology
    • About Me
    • Critter Questions
  • Daily Critter Facts
  • BYET
    • About BYET
    • Ernie on Fine Art America
    • BYET Gallery 1
    • BYET Gallery 2
    • BYET Gallery 3
    • BYET Gallery 4
    • BYET Gallery 5
    • BYET Gallery 6
    • BYET Gallery 7
  • For Teachers
    • Teacher Critter Resources
    • What is a Marsupial?
    • Butterfly Life Cycle
      • Butterfly Metamorphosis
      • World’s Largest Butterfly
      • World’s Largest Moth
    • Types of Animal Dormancy
    • Hibernating vs Brumating
    • Metamorphosis – A Frog’s Life Cycle
      • Frog Metamorphosis
      • Poison Dart Frog
    • What are Species?
    • Animal Word Search
    • Connect the Dots
    • Coloring Pages
  • Contact
    • General Contact
Donate Today
leafy sea dragon

Meet the Leafy Sea Dragon

  • 28 March, 2019
  • Critter Man
  • No Comments
  • 244 Views
  • 1 Likes
Daily Critter Facts

The leafy sea dragon or Glauert’s sea dragon is a marine fish that includes sea dragons, pipefish, and seahorses. They are found along the southern and western coasts of Australia. These threatened sea creatures are now a protected species due to divers taking them home with them for their aquariums, and poaching for traditional medicine. Don’t be that person! They are also threatened by pollution and habitat loss.

First the Stats…

Scientific name: Phycodurus eques
Weight: Up to 8+ ounces
Length: 14 inches
Lifespan: Up to 9 years

Now on to the Facts!

1.) The Leafy Sea Dragon has no known predators.

2.) These sea dragons have evolved to give themselves near-perfect camouflage in seaweed. However, the leafy structures covering their body are not used for moving about the water. To move, they use 2 fins: one pectoral and one dorsal, that are so thin they are nearly transparent.

3.) Sea dragon males are, like sea horses, responsible for bearing children. However, instead of a pouch (like sea horses possess) male sea dragons have a spongy brood patch located on the underside of their tail where females deposit their pink eggs during mating.

4.) Leafy sea dragon eggs are fertilized during the transfer from the female to the male. The males then incubate the eggs and carry them to term, releasing tiny replicas of themselves into the water after about 4 – 6 weeks. The babies are born ready to tackle the world on their own.

5.) They prey on small crustaceans like young plankton, mysids, or sea lice.

But wait, there’s more on the leafy sea dragon!

6.) Sea dragons don’t have any natural predators. The combo of magnificent camouflage, sharp dorsal spines, and tough jointed plates offer perfect protection against all but humans. They can also change color to match their surroundings and sway with the current to mimic swaying sea vegetation.

7.) They swallow their prey whole, creating a suction to draw in the prey item into their small mouth by expanding a joint on the lower part of their snout.

Did you know…?
Sea dragons do not have teeth or a stomach!

8.) Leafies are solitary. They also move to deeper water during the Australian winters when food is scarce. In late winter they migrate over to more shallow bays, forming groups in which to pair and mate.

Now a Short Leafy Sea Dragon Video!

Learn more about all kinds of cool critters here.

Be sure to comment below!

Australiacamoflageleafy sea dragonoceanseasea dragonsea horse
Critter Man

With over 45 years of critter experience to my credit and hundreds of zoology teaching hours to people around the world, I have amassed not only a continuing thirst for critter knowledge but a desire to teach others all I can about the majesty and wonder of our natural world. Critter Science is a culmination of such knowledge. I have hands on as well as book acquired intel on all kinds of critters. Whether they're on land, sea, or in the air. I will never say that I know everything about all animals. That's impossible, even for a savant. But, that being said, ask me any animal question and I'll answer it. If I don't know the answer, I'll get an answer for you!

The Deadly Eastern Brown Snake
Meet the Lethal Tiger Snake
Related Posts
  • pygmy hippopotamus
    The Pygmy Hippopotamus 27 January, 2021
  • mimic octopus
    The Amazing Mimic Octopus 26 January, 2021
  • basking shark
    The Big Mouthed Basking Shark 25 January, 2021
  • Store
  • Zoology is My Passion
  • Daily Critter Facts
  • Teachers
  • BYET
  • Contact

Copyright © 2021, Critter Science. All Rights Reserved.