Leafy Sea Dragon: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Ocean Oddities · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Leafy flaps of skin make a leafy seadragon look like seaweed, and it swims so gently that it still looks like drifting seaweed.
2. The male cares for the eggs. The female deposits up to 250 bright pink eggs onto his tail.
3. About 9 weeks later the eggs start hatching. Dad helps by wiggling his tail and rubbing it against seaweed and rocks.
4. Leafy seadragons have been seen staying in one spot for up to 68 hours. They sometimes move for lengthy periods too.
5. Its long snout works like a drinking straw, slurping up tiny shrimp-like animals, plankton and baby fish.

The quiz

1. How does a leafy seadragon keep up its seaweed disguise while swimming?

• It hides in sand
• It swims like drifting seaweed (correct)
• It stays very still
• It swims in the dark

It swims so gently that it still looks like drifting seaweed.

2. Who cares for the eggs?

• The female
• Both parents
• Nobody
• The male (correct)

The male cares for the eggs, which the female deposits onto his tail.

3. How does the male help the eggs hatch?

• He buries them in sand
• He sings to them
• He wiggles his tail and rubs it on seaweed and rocks (correct)
• He carries them to open water

Dad wiggles his tail and rubs it against seaweed and rocks to help the eggs hatch.

4. For up to how long have leafy seadragons been seen staying in one spot?

• 68 hours (correct)
• 6 hours
• 8 hours
• 168 hours

They have been observed staying in one location for up to 68 hours.

5. How does a leafy seadragon eat?

• It crushes shells with its jaws
• It spears fish with its snout
• It filters water through its gills
• It sucks food up through its long snout (correct)

Its long snout slurps up tiny crustaceans, plankton and baby fish like a straw.

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