Dragons of the sea

Who isn't afraid of dragons, especially the fire-breathing creatures we often hear of in legends and tales or see on television and movies?

However, the dragons featured here today are in no way capable of sending you running for cover, in fear of your dear life even if you encounter them, simply because, they are small in size and are not breathing fire. And what's more, just to get a glimpse of these frightful looking, but harmless dragons, you would have to go deep down into the sea!

It may certainly take a while to fathom (understand) what these weird-looking creatures are, but you will be amazed to learn that they are the cousins of the tiny fish known as sea horses. Comparatively large for sea horses, growing to around 18 inches or 45 cm in length, Leafy Sea Dragons and Weedy Sea Dragons both belong to the family of Syngnathidae (sin-nath-id-ee).

The Leafy Sea Dragon is the only member of the genus Phycodurus while the Weedy Sea Dragon is the only member of the genus Phylloptery.

The general belief was that these are two different species, but recent studies, have led scientists to believe that they may belong to the same species in a wide range, from different territories.

The Leafy Sea Dragon is the official marine emblem of Southern Australia. The Weedy Sea Dragon is the aquatic emblem of the State of Victoria.

Spectacular and mysterious of all ocean fish, sea dragons resemble floating pieces of seaweed and are generally found in temperate waters in Western Australia, Southern Australia and the further east coast of Victoria. They are found in cooler rocky reefs covered with kelp (large seaweed), seaweed beds and seagrass beds in these regions and are considered a rare type of fish.

In fact, as they are threatened with extinction, being preyed upon by their worst enemy - the humans for their aquarium value, sea dragons are now a protected species in Australia. Pollution too is destroying their habitats and having an impact on their decreasing numbers.

Anatomy

Both species have streamlined bodies which are larger than their cousins, the sea horses, with either leaf-like or weed-like appendages(attachments). These appendages help these creatures to hide from predators and also their prey.

If you look at the pictures featured here you will realize how beautifully they blend with their environment with all the leaves and weeds hanging from their bodies. The Leafy Sea Dragon certainly looks like a normal sea horse that has got entangled in the plants found in the sea bed!

The elongatedbodies of sea dragons are encased in a hard bony ring series. They have small gill openings and are usually green to yellow in colour.

What these dragons eat

Both Leafy Sea Dragons and Weedy Sea Dragons feed on plankton, algae and flotsam. Larval fish and amphipods such as small shrimp-like crustaceans known as mysids (sea life) are relished by these sea dragons.

If you happen to notice their mouths, you are bound to wonder how they eat with tube-like mouths that resemble drinking straws. Well, these creatures simply slurp up their prey by the thousands as they move about, camouflaged in the seaweed.

How they move about

Like their cousins the sea horses, sea dragons do not have prehensile (gripping) tails. Their appendages and body are not used for movement and steering at all. Steering is done by moving their tiny transulcent fins along the sides of the head.

They are the pectoral fins visible above the head area. Propulsion is done with the help of dorsal fins located along the spine. In fact, watching them more could be a fascinating experience because those who have done so claim that it seems as if an invisible hand is helping them glide and tumble in peculiar, but graceful patterns, in slow motion.

Breeding

August-March is the normal breeding season. What's unique is that like the male sea horses, male sea dragons too 'give birth' to their young. But, unlike the sea horses, the dragons do not have 'brood pouches' on their tails to hold the eggs.

Instead, they have 'brood patches' on the underside of their tails. This part of the tail which is wrinkled consists of cups of blood-rich tissue which can hold one egg each. The female lays around 250 eggs on the male's tail which usually becomes slightly swollen, soft and spongy during the breeding season.

The eggs are bright pink in colour and are incubated over a period of 4-6 weeks. Oxygen for the eggs are provided via the blood vessels in each cup. Even though so many eggs are laid, not all the young survive. Only about five per cent survive to maturity - that's two years.

The new-born dragons are not more than 2.5-3.5 cm in length and feed initially on the yolk sac attached to them for the first two days. This is because it takes two days for their snouts to grow! It is only after the snout grows that they graduate to eating zooplankton.

The sea dragons are extremely fragile (delicate) creatures and are difficult to maintain in captivity. They need a lot of care. So, don't think of getting a sea dragon to live in a tank!

Anyway, these rare fish should be allowed to live peacefully in their natural habitats where they belong and not in restricted, artificial environments. Don't you think so too?