Leafy seadragon

Leafy fish ( Phycodurus eques )

The Great Sea Dragon ( Phycodurus eques ) lives in the cooler waters on the south coast of Western Australia and South Australia at depths 3-30 meters. Sporadically, it also occurs on the south coast of Victoria and on the south west coast of Western Australia. Your preferred habitat are adjacent to rocky reefs sand areas that are covered in brown algae, especially of the genus Ecklonia. Hence the scientific name: ( gr ) phykodes tangartig, ouros tail, and (Latin ) eques horseman.

Features

Characteristic of the animals is a variety of sheet-like outgrowths, which they camouflage perfectly in their habitat. Specimens from shallow water are colored yellow or greenish, those rather dark brown to burgundy from deeper regions. Leafy Sea Dragon will be 35 inches long.

Nutrition

Like all pipefish feeds the Great scrap of fish of small crabs, shrimps and prawns floating. Larger specimens will also eat several major cancers, such as porcelain crabs.

Reproduction

Leafy Sea Dragon congregate in winter in shallow bays for mating. The females are then distinguished by their swollen bellies of the lean heavily male. The skin at the base of the tail and the tail side of the male is now wrinkled, soft and spongy, to accommodate the 250 to 300 filed by the females eggs. The tail assumes a bright yellow color. During mating, the eggs are forced into the tail skin, and then swells and hardens to each egg forms a cup- like shape. The eggs are 7 mm long and have a diameter of 4 mm. After mating, many males migrate into deeper water. The fry hatch, with the tail first, after about eight weeks in a period of six to seven days. They are then 3.5 cm long and can swim independently after three to six hours. Mostly, they migrate into shallower water 5-7 meters deep.

Pipe fish in aquariums

Leafy Sea Dragon are shown of public aquariums around the world. They are bred in South Australia and the offspring will be exported. In aquariums held pipefish are up to ten years old.