Leafy seadragon  (Phycodurus eques)

Biology

Seadragons are seen either solitarily or in pairs, they are slow-moving and rely on their elegant camouflage to provide protection from predators (2). In common with seahorses, it is the male seadragon that carries the developing eggs. The breeding season runs from October to March (4), and males develop a 'brood patch' on the underside of the tail that consists of cups of blood-rich tissue, which each hold an egg (5). The female transfers around 120 eggs into these pits; the eggs are then fertilised and carried by the male for about a month (2). Hatchlings emerge over several days and are initially only around 20 mm in length. They are extremely vulnerable to predation but grow quickly, attaining adult size by the time they are 2 years old (2). Seadragons feed on small organisms such as plankton and mysids by sucking them into their tube-like snout (2).

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