Leafy Sea Dragon Facts

Leafy sea dragons, or phycodurus eques, are very well-disguised creatures. These sea dragons have appendages all over their body that are shaped like leaves. This allows the leafy sea dragon to blend in with the seaweed and kelp in its environment. The camouflage of the leafy sea dragon works so well that prey fail to recognize it as a fish. Because they are so well hidden in their environment, leafy sea dragons have no known natural predators. The are, however, predators themselves, feeding on tiny sea lice called mysids and other small crustaceans.

Physical Characteristics

Leafy sea dragons grow to be 14 inches long. They are brown, green and yellow in color. Jointed plates cover the body of the leaf sea dragon, rather than scales, and the animals have sharp spines along their backs.

Swimming

The dorsal an pectoral fins of leafy sea dragons are clear and somewhat small. The animals are not graceful swimmers and often choose to drift with the current rather than actively swim.

Location

The only place in the world where leafy sea dragons have been found is in the ocean water to the east and south of Australia.

Mating

When leafy sea dragons mate, the female plants 100 to 250 eggs onto a spongy patch under the male's tail. The male fertilizes the eggs while they are being deposited and then he carries them for the four to six weeks it will take them to hatch. When the eggs hatch, the male releases the small leafy sea dragons into the ocean.

Legal Protection

The official status of the leafy sea dragon is "near threatened." The Australian government has made it illegal to remove leafy sea dragons from their natural habitat.

References

• National Geographic
• SeaWorld
• Marinerio