They do not have a specialized pouch like male seahorses but instead carry the eggs under the tail. There, they remain exposed to the elements but safe, and the male provides them with necessary levels of oxygen through a specialized, nearby organ.
Newly hatched leafy seadragons receive no further parental care. They reach sexual maturity in approximately two years. The leafy seadragon is a popular species in public aquaria and its trade is tightly regulated. There are very few people licensed to collect leafy seadragons, and a more significant threat to their populations comes from their accidental capture in fisheries targeting other species.
Scientists consider this species to be near threatened with extinction. They resemble floating pieces of seaweed, which makes them difficult for predators to find in their natural habitat it also makes them difficult for divers to see too, so anyone who sees one swimming in the wild is exceptionally lucky!
Most adults are green to yellowish-brown with thin bands or stripes across the body. They can reach a total length of 45 centimetres. Where does it live? The leafy sea dragon lives among rocky reefs, seaweed beds, seagrass meadows and on sand patches near weed covered reefs where it looks like drifting seaweed. What does it eat and how: The leafy sea dragon sucks up its prey using its long pipe-like snout and small mouth.
Its favourite food is mysid shrimps or sea lice. These shrimps feed on red algae seaweeds that thrive in the shade of the kelp forests where the sea dragons live. Threats: Because leafy sea dragons are such fascinating and unique creatures, some people illegally collect them for their aquariums they are totally protected. Unfortunately, leafy sea dragons that are removed by divers usually die quickly because their captors do not provide them with the correct live food daily. Other major threats to leafy sea dragons include pollution and excessive fertiliser run-off, as well as loss of their seagrass habitat.
Behaviour: Being slow moving, they rely heavily on camouflage for survival, but are also equipped with several long sharp spines along the side of the body which are thought to be used to defend themselves against attacking fish. They are also able to change colour to match their surroundings.
Adorned with gossamer, leaf-shaped appendages over their entire bodies, they are perfectly outfitted to blend in with the seaweed and kelp formations they live amongst. Endemic to the waters off south and east Australia, leafy sea dragons are closely related to seahorses and pipefish. Leafies are generally brown to yellow in body color with spectacular olive-tinted appendages.
Leafies are shaped to give themselves near-perfect camouflage in seaweed. But the leaf-like structures are not used for swimming. To move, this species uses two fins—one pectoral and one dorsal—that are so thin they are almost transparent.
As with sea horses, sea dragon males are responsible for childbearing. But instead of a pouch, like sea horses have, male sea dragons have a spongy brood patch on the underside of the tail where females deposit their bright-pink eggs during mating.
The eggs are fertilized during the transfer from the female to the male. The males incubate the eggs and carry them to term, releasing miniature sea dragons into the water after about four to six weeks. Sea dragons survive on tiny crustaceans such as mysids, or sea lice. It is not known if they are preyed upon by other animals. They are, however, frequently taken by divers seeking to keep them as pets. In fact, such takings shrank their numbers so critically by the early s that the Australian government placed a complete protection on the species.
Pollution and habitat loss have also hurt their numbers, and they are currently listed as near threatened. All rights reserved. A leafy sea dragon photographed at Dallas World Aquarium in Texas. Common Name: Leafy Sea Dragon.
0コメント