Weedy seadragon
Phyllopteryx taeniolatus
Where at Shedd?
Oceans
| Diet | Plankton, fish eggs, tiny crustaceans |
|---|---|
| Size | 18 inches (45 cm) |
| Type | Fishes |
| Range | Eastern Indian Ocean: Southern Australia, from Southern Western Australia to New South Wales and Tasmania |
| Habitat | Australian coastal waters |
About the Weedy seadragon
Is that seaweed? Seagrass? It’s a weedy seadragon! While these cousins of seahorses may look striking with their colorful spots and stripes, their unique patterning and leaf-like appendages keep them perfectly hidden among sea plants.
Did you know?
Weedy seadragons have a prehensile tail, meaning they can use it to grasp onto seaweed, rocks or each other.
After mating, the female seadragon places her eggs onto a special brood patch under the male's tail. He carries them until they hatch.