The Weedy Seadragon is a member of the seahorse Family. He inhabits coastal reefs, to depths of around 50 m. Slow moving, he relies on camouflage for protection and will generally be found amongst swaying seaweed, where his various leaf-like appendages blend in. His tail is not prehensile. His long, slender snout is used to suction up zooplankton. Like his hippocampus cousins, the male Weedy Seadragon carries the eggs in a pouch on the underside of his tail. Here he fertilised them, then carries them until they hatch into tiny, independent dragons.
The Weedy Seadragon is Near Threatened. Whilst there is some popularity for his species in the pet trade, survival rates are low and reproduction rare. However, it is mainly habitat disruption and destruction that is reponsible for his decline.
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