Leafy Seadragon

Leafy Seadragon is one of the strangest looking fishes in the ocean. These creatures just look like some floating weeds.

They belong to the family Syngnathidae with Seahorses and Pipefishes. There are three types of sea dragons - Leefy, Ruby and Weedy.

Leafy Seadragon is endemic to southern western coastal waters of Australia. They are the emblems of the state of South Australia.

Leafy Seadragons grow lager than most other members of the sea horse family. They can be 8 to 10 inches in length.

They live in kelp forests and sea weeds. Leaf like outgrowths in their body help them to hide themselves in their.

They use their long horse like snout to suck flush out of small shrimps, plankton and fish larva.

The female Leafy Seadragon lays about 250 eggs at a time. Like other members of the family, the eggs were glued with the tail of the male. The eggs hatched after 9 weeks. At that time,it seems that the male is giving birth of live babies (which is not the actual case).

The unusual body shape is helpful for hiding but not that effective in fleeing. The Leefy Seadragon can't move quickly due to its body structure. So, if spotted by the predators, they are unable to flee to safety.

Due to is attractive and unusual shape, Leefy Seadragons are popular in the marine aquarium enthusiasts.

These creatures are unique creations of nature. We should extend our helping hands to save them in the wild.