|
|
Sea dragons are fish.
They do look a bit like dragons!
They are relatives of seahorses.
They hide by looking like floating seaweed.
They live in the sea in Australia.
What are they?
Sea dragons are fish. They are a type of seahorse. There are Leafy sea dragons and the smaller Weedy sea dragons.
Habitat and Distribution (Where are they found?)
They are found in shallow seas around the southern and western shores of Australia.
Appearance and Behaviours
They grow flaps and extensions that look like leaves and weeds. As they swim about, they look like pieces of floating seaweed. They are called leafy or weedy sea dragons because of this camouflage and because they resemble dragons.
Sea dragons have small fins on the neck and back close to the tail. They are transparent, and move to and fro gently to move the sea dragons through the water. They are not strong swimmers however. They do not have the sort of tail that can hold onto plants to keep them anchored like their relatives, the seahorses. This means they are often tossed onto shore in a storm.
Life Cycle
Females lay their eggs on the tale of the male sea dragon, who protects them until they hatch.
Conservation Status and Threats
Sea dragons are endangered because of sea pollution, and also because divers capture them to keep them as pets. It is illegal to have these rare creatures as pets however. They are protected by the Australian Government.
Find out more about them here: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/sea-dragon.html
State Marine Emblems:
|
|
April 2000 - The Leafy sea dragon was declared South Australia's marine emblem. |
|
|
March 2003 - The Weedy sea dragon was made the marine emblem of Victoria, Australia. |
Click here to find
out about the seahorse family
If you use any part of this in your own work, acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
Sydenham, S. & Thomas, R. Sea Dragons [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2003)
Updated© [2008] kidcyber
