A Weedy Sea Dragon’s Father’s Day
A weedy sea dragon at the Georgia Aquarium has something to celebrate this Father’s Day. One of the rare creatures is pregnant for only the third time ever at a U.S. aquarium. But don’t look for the expectant mom – dads carry the eggs in this family. In fact, Sea dragons, sea horses and pipe fish are the only species where the male carries the eggs. The aquarium’s sea dragon has about 70 fertilized eggs – which look like small red grapes
– attached to his tail. [Via]
The weedy sea dragon or common sea dragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is a marine fish related to the seahorse, generally found in water 3 to 50 m deep around the southern coastline of Australia, approximately between Port Stephens, New South Wales and Geraldton, Western Australia, as well as around Tasmania.
They are named for the weed-like projections on their bodies that camouflage them as they move among the seaweed beds where they are usually found.
Watch a YouTube video of this marvelous creature here.
