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Common seadragon
The common seadragon or weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is a marine fish of the order Syngnathiformes, which also includes the similar pipefishes, seahorses, and trumpetfishes among other species. Adult common seadragons are a reddish colour, with yellow and purple striped markings; they have small, leaf-like appendages that resemble kelp or seaweed fronds, providing camouflage, as well as a number of short spines for protection. As with seahorses and the other syngnathids, the seadragon has a similarly tubular snout and a fused, toothless jaw into which it captures small invertebrate prey at lightning speed. Males have narrower bodies and are darker than females. Seadragons have a long dorsal fin along the back and small pectoral fins on either side of the neck, which provide balance. Weedy seadragons can reach 45 cm (18 in) in length.
The common seadragon is the marine emblem of the Australian state of Victoria.
The common seadragon is endemic to Australian and insular coastal waters of the eastern Indian Ocean northern Southern Ocean and the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It can generally be found along the entire southern coastline of the Australian continent, including Tasmania and other offshore islands. It can be observed regularly from around Port Stephens, New South Wales to Geraldton, Western Australia, as well as off the coast of South Australia and the Great Australian Bight.
The common seadragon inhabits coastal waters down around 10 m (33 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) deep. It is associated with rocky reefs, seaweed beds, seagrass meadows and structures colonised by seaweed.
The seadragons are slow-moving and, like most of their relatives, rely on excellent camouflage—the mimicry of seaweed, in this case—as a defense against predators. They lack the prehensile tail that many seahorses and pipefishes have evolved as anchors, to clasp and steady themselves; seadragons, instead, drift in the water among kelp and seaweed masses, which they blend into with their leafy-looking appendages.
Individuals are observed either on their own or in pairs, feeding on tiny crustaceans and other zooplankton by sucking prey into their toothless mouths. As with most other syngnathids, seadragon males are the sex that cares for the developing eggs. Females lay around 120 eggs onto the brood patch located on the underside of the male's tail. The eggs are fertilised and carried by the male for around a month before the hatchlings emerge. The young are independent at birth, beginning to eat shortly after. Common seadragons take about 28 months to reach sexual maturity, and may live for up to six years.
Mating in captivity is relatively rare since researchers have yet to understand what biological or environmental factors trigger them to reproduce. The survival rate for young common seadragons is low in the wild, but it is about 60% in captivity.
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the US, and Melbourne Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia are among the few facilities in the world to have successfully bred common seadragons in captivity, though others occasionally report egg-laying. In March 2012, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta announced a successful breeding event of common seadragons. In July of the same year, the Monterey Bay Aquarium successfully bred and hatched-out common seadragons, on-exhibit. Most recently, the Birch Aquarium in San Diego successfully bred and hatched common seadragon fry in early 2023.
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Common seadragon
The common seadragon or weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is a marine fish of the order Syngnathiformes, which also includes the similar pipefishes, seahorses, and trumpetfishes among other species. Adult common seadragons are a reddish colour, with yellow and purple striped markings; they have small, leaf-like appendages that resemble kelp or seaweed fronds, providing camouflage, as well as a number of short spines for protection. As with seahorses and the other syngnathids, the seadragon has a similarly tubular snout and a fused, toothless jaw into which it captures small invertebrate prey at lightning speed. Males have narrower bodies and are darker than females. Seadragons have a long dorsal fin along the back and small pectoral fins on either side of the neck, which provide balance. Weedy seadragons can reach 45 cm (18 in) in length.
The common seadragon is the marine emblem of the Australian state of Victoria.
The common seadragon is endemic to Australian and insular coastal waters of the eastern Indian Ocean northern Southern Ocean and the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It can generally be found along the entire southern coastline of the Australian continent, including Tasmania and other offshore islands. It can be observed regularly from around Port Stephens, New South Wales to Geraldton, Western Australia, as well as off the coast of South Australia and the Great Australian Bight.
The common seadragon inhabits coastal waters down around 10 m (33 ft) to 30 m (98 ft) deep. It is associated with rocky reefs, seaweed beds, seagrass meadows and structures colonised by seaweed.
The seadragons are slow-moving and, like most of their relatives, rely on excellent camouflage—the mimicry of seaweed, in this case—as a defense against predators. They lack the prehensile tail that many seahorses and pipefishes have evolved as anchors, to clasp and steady themselves; seadragons, instead, drift in the water among kelp and seaweed masses, which they blend into with their leafy-looking appendages.
Individuals are observed either on their own or in pairs, feeding on tiny crustaceans and other zooplankton by sucking prey into their toothless mouths. As with most other syngnathids, seadragon males are the sex that cares for the developing eggs. Females lay around 120 eggs onto the brood patch located on the underside of the male's tail. The eggs are fertilised and carried by the male for around a month before the hatchlings emerge. The young are independent at birth, beginning to eat shortly after. Common seadragons take about 28 months to reach sexual maturity, and may live for up to six years.
Mating in captivity is relatively rare since researchers have yet to understand what biological or environmental factors trigger them to reproduce. The survival rate for young common seadragons is low in the wild, but it is about 60% in captivity.
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the US, and Melbourne Aquarium in Melbourne, Australia are among the few facilities in the world to have successfully bred common seadragons in captivity, though others occasionally report egg-laying. In March 2012, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta announced a successful breeding event of common seadragons. In July of the same year, the Monterey Bay Aquarium successfully bred and hatched-out common seadragons, on-exhibit. Most recently, the Birch Aquarium in San Diego successfully bred and hatched common seadragon fry in early 2023.