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Sea Dragon
Sea Dragon Facts
| Kingdom: Five groups that classify all living things | Animalia |
| Phylum: A group of animals within the animal kingdom | Chordata |
| Class: A group of animals within a pylum | Actinopterygii |
| Order: A group of animals within a class | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: A group of animals within an order | Syngnathidae |
| Genus: A group of animals within a family | Phycodurus |
| Common Name: Most widely used name for the species | Sea Dragon |
| Scientific Name: Comprised of the genus followed by the species | Phycodurus Eques |
| Origin: The area where the animal first came from | Australian coastal waters |
| Diet: What kind of foods the animal eats | Carnivore |
| Size (L): How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is | 20cm - 24cm (10in - 12in) |
| Water Type: Either freshwater, brakish or salt | Salt |
| Optimum pH Level: The perfect acidity conditions for the animal | 6.5 - 8.0 |
| Life Span: How long the animal lives for | 2 - 10 years |
| Conservation Status: The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct | Threatened |
| Colour: The colour of the animal's coat or markings | Brown, Black, Yellow, White, Tan, Grey, Green, Red, Orange |
| Skin Type: The protective layer of the animal | Scales |
| Favourite Food: | Plankton |
| Habitat: The specific area where the animal lives | Tropical coastal waters |
| Average Clutch Size: The average number of eggs laif at once | 250 |
| Main Prey: | Plankton, Shrimp, Small fish |
| Predators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animal | Large Fish |
| Distinctive Features: Characteristics unique to the animal | Elongated snout and easily camouflaged body |
Sea Dragon Location
Map of Oceania
Sea Dragon
The sea dragon is a small, delicate fish found in the tropical coastal waters of south and west Australia. Sea dragons look similar to and are in fact closely related to sea horses.There are two different species of sea dragon which are the leafy sea dragon and the weedy sea dragon. Although both sea dragon species have a similar body shape and size, they are very different in appearance.
The leafy sea dragon is the master of camouflage, and being able to hide itself so easily amongst the plants means that the leafy sea dragon is rarely eaten, despite having numerous potential predators in the surrounding water.
The weedy sea dragon does not look so elaborate, only having a few feather fins along its back. The weedy sea dragon has adapted to life on the sea bed as these feathery (weed-like) fins help the sea dragon to camouflage into the debris on the sea floor.
Despite their small size, sea dragons are carnivorous animals and therefore have a purely meat-based diet. The sea dragon uses its pipe-like snout to suck its prey into its oddly tooth-less mouth. Sea dragons hunt crustaceans, plankton, shrimp and even small fish, using their camouflage to their advantage.
Sea dragons have numerous natural predators in the south and western coastal waters of Australia but are rarely even spotted to the elaborate camouflage of the sea dragon. Those few sea dragons that are unlucky enough to be found, are usually spotted by large fish.
As with sea horses, it is the male sea dragon who care for the eggs once they have been laid by the female. The female lays around 250 eggs onto the long tail onto the long tail of the male sea horse. The eggs of the sea dragon can take up to 9 weeks to hatch and remain in the care of the male sea dragon at all times.
The baby sea dragons are completely independent once they have hatched and feed on tiny nutritious particles in the water. It can take up to a year for the sea dragon babies to be nearly the size of the adult sea dragons.
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First Published: 21st December 2009, Last Updated: 9th January 2017 [View Sources]
1. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 21 Dec 2009]
2. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2011]
3. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 21 Dec 2009]
4. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species [Accessed at: 21 Dec 2009]
5. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 21 Dec 2009]
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