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| Weedy sea dragon | ||||||||||||||
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| Phyllopteryx taeniolatus (Lacepède, 1804) |
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 Phyllopteryx taeniolatus range.
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The weedy sea dragon or common sea dragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is a marine fish related to the seahorse. It is the only member of the genus Phyllopteryx. It is found in water 3 to 50 m deep around the southern coastline of Australia, approximately between Port Stephens, New South Wales and Geraldton, Western Australia, as well as around Tasmania. Weedy sea dragons are named for the weed-like projections on their bodies that camouflage them as they move among the seaweed beds where they are usually found.
The male weedy sea dragons carry the eggs after mating. Sea dragons, sea horses and pipe fish are the only species where the male carries the eggs.
Weedy sea dragons can reach 45 cm in length. They feed on tiny crustaceans and other zooplankton, which are sucked into the end of their tube-like snout.
The male of the species carries the fertilized eggs, attached to his tail. Mating in captivity is rare since researchers have yet to understand what biological or environmental factors trigger them to reproduce. In captivity the survival rate for weedy sea dragons is about 60%. [1]
A more cryptic relative of the weedy sea dragon is the leafy sea dragon. In the November 2006 issue of National Geographic magazine, marine biologist Greg Rouse is reported as investigating the DNA variation of the two sea dragon species across their ranges.
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California and Melbourne Aquarium in Australia are the only facilities in the world to have successfully bred weedy sea dragons in captivity. As of June 2008, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta has a pregnant sea dragon, which is expected to give birth in early-mid July.[2]
The weedy sea dragon is the marine emblem of the State of Victoria.[3]
References
- Connolly (2006). Phyllopteryx taeniolatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006.
External links
- Australian Museum Online - Leafy and Weedy Seadragons
- Leafy Seadragons and Weedy Seadragons
- Weedy Sea Dragon Monitoring Program in Botany Bay
- Leafy Sea Dragon Festival
- Weedy Sea Dragon
- Youtube Male Weedy Seadragon with eggs
- Youtube Weedy Seadragon
