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Leafy Sea Dragon

General Information. The leafy sea dragon, Phycodurus eques, is a marine fish related to the seahorse. The name is derived from the appearance, with long leaf-like protrusions coming from all over the body. These small fins are almost completely transparent and difficult to see as they undulate mi

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Leafy Sea Dragon

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    1. Leafy Sea Dragon Jarrod Briley 2nd Period Oceanography

    2. General Information The leafy sea dragon, Phycodurus eques, is a marine fish related to the seahorse. The name is derived from the appearance, with long leaf-like protrusions coming from all over the body. These small fins are almost completely transparent and difficult to see as they undulate minutely to move the creature sedately through the water, completing the illusion of floating seaweed.

    3. Feeding Leafy sea dragons oddly enough do not have teeth, which is rare amongst animals that eat small fish and shrimp. The creature has a long, pipe-like snout that it uses to feed. It primarily eats crustaceans including plankton and mysids, but its diet also includes shrimp and small fish.

    4. Movement The leafy sea dragon uses the fins along the side of its head to allow it to steer and turn. Individual leafy sea dragons have been observed remaining in one location for extended periods of time (up to 68 hours) but will sometimes move for lengthy periods. Tracking of one individual indicated it moved at up to 150 metres (490 feet) per hour.

    5. Habitat The leafy sea dragon is found only in the waters of Australia from Kangaroo Island on the Southern shoreline to Jurien Bay[4] on the Western shoreline. They are mostly found around clumps of sand in waters up to 50 metres (164 feet) deep, hiding among rocks and sea grass.

    6. Camouflage The lobes of skin that grow on the leafy sea dragon give it the appearance of seaweed, allowing it to camouflage with its surroundings. Its leafy appearance also enables it to appear to move through the water like a piece of floating seaweed. It can also change color to blend in, but this ability relies on the sea dragon's diet, age, location, and stress level.

    7. Citations Oceanography. Web. 29 Sep 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafy_sea_dragon>.

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