Marine Biology Presentation Aubrey Orullian The Leafy Sea dragon Marine Biology Presentation Aubrey Orullian

Phycodurus eques: the Leafy Sea Dragon Family Phycodurus eques: the Leafy Sea Dragon Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Syngnathiformes Family: Syngnathidae Genus: Phycodurus Belong to the same family as the sea horse and the pipefish

Location Found ONLY along southern Australia Therefore it is Endemic to that area Great Australian Bight and Rocky Reefs

Apperance They have a very bony plated body (no scales) The pectoral fins are located on the neck, and a dorsal fin runs along the sea dragon's back Can grow up to 18 inches or 30 cm long Made to look like the seaweed in their habitat in order to protect themselves from their predators such as large fish They are actually weak swimmers and this makes them vulnerable to predators and hunters They have a tail that cannot be coiled, unlike sea horses

Differences in Appearance There are 2 types of sea dragons, the leafy and the weedy The difference is mostly in appearance and color, the weedy sea dragons have less appendages and are more red in color whereas the leafy sea dragon is a green to yellow color. The Leafy sea dragon can be slightly red, but it depends on how deep in the water it is found, the deeper it is found, the more red it gets

Climate/Habitat The Leafy Sea Dragon lives in warm water temperatures 55-67* Fahrenheit And in waters that are about 30 meters deep They like to live in rocky reefs, sand patches, sea grass meadows and seaweed beds

Diet Feed on shrimp, krill, zooplankton and larval fishes (baby fishes) Due to lack of teeth, they suck their prey through their mouth tunnel (do not have a stomach so they eat constantly) The Leafy sea dragon can eat up to thousands of prey a day

Life and Reproduction Cycle Up to 7-10 years At 2 years old, they are fully grown and can breed They live solitary lives but pair up only to mate From October to March is breeding season The female lays up to 300 eggs that the male carries around in a patch by his tail for about 6 to 8 weeks

Human Impact On the IUCN red list, they are found Near Threatened Are not commonly captured for the illegal medicine uses, but are captured for museum exhibits and illegal pet trading Loss of habitat is the highest cause of reduction Caused by urban and agricultural run-off, industrial pollution, etc.

Fun Facts Also known as Glauert’s sea dragon, name comes from Ludwig Glauert who was a famous Australian paleontologist, herpetologist and museum curator from the early 1900’s The Leafy sea dragon is the official marine emblem of the state of South Australia It is very hard to notice in it’s habitat

Conservation Australia is very keen on conserving this species (many scientists believe that it is decreasing in size) so one thing they will do is when you scuba dive in that area, they will ask you if you have seen sightings of the species Many laws and standards have been set to protect the Leafy sea dragon from divers’ harassment and hunters Once a year, one brooding male may be collected and kept in safe location (for example, the Monterey Bay Aquarium) The hatchling are sent back to the ocean soon after hatching

References Page: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/17096/0 http://www.arkive.org/leafy-seadragon/phycodurus-eques/ http://www.neaq.org/animals_and_exhibits/animals/sea_dragons/ http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/leafy_seadragon http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/fishes/leafy-sea-dragon