Information About Sea Dragons

The sea dragon, Phycodurus eques, is a fish and close cousin to the sea horse. The name is derived from their appearance and they are primarily found off the coast of Australia.

  1. Appearance

    • Sea dragons look like sea horses with several translucent leafy blue-green colored wings protruding from their bodies. These wings allow it to hide in seaweed and kelp.

    Size

    • A fully grown sea dragon, which reaches maturity at two years, reaches a body length of about 18 inches.

    Movement

    • Although the wing-like appendages of sea dragons seem to be used for movement, they are actually only used for camouflage. Sea dragons are propelled by a series of dorsal fins on their spines.

    Reproduction

    • Female sea dragons deposit their eggs on the underside of the male's tail, in an area known as the brood patch. The female can deposit up to 250 eggs on one brood patch, but only 5 percent of those hatched will survive to maturity. The male carries and incubates the eggs for about eight weeks until they hatch.

    Diet

    • Sea dragons suck up their prey using their small mouths. They typically prey on larval fish amphipods like mysids, or sea lice.