p a r k n o t e s o For more information call the Tiny prey. camouflage current. motion seadragons As white colour, pattern, the intervals from shrimp seagrass , What head Long Weedy What Shallow : wild. They Grows Size: At Life n

13 1963 a well

body.

Span: Glance...

fins

leaf can stalk‐ Weedy for

It Is spots

‐

up

bright as Sea

like as

or visit our website at Eats: that

coastal a

This

with are

balance meadows ‐ along in

live

shaped

sea They to Weedy looking seaweed like dragons

kelp move and

themselves

found 46

swim enables

for

an lice, blue

bony

the

have centimetres waters

yellow forests, orange

up Seadragon? and

flaps

in like

larval

slowly stripes top on

and

are

would to

projections a an

them

a

seaweed,

similar either

Parks Information Centre 10

of and

of long markings. delicate,

seaweed ‐ amazing

and called red reef

www.parkweb.vic.gov.au

skin and

years southern

and in

to bottom

shimmering

background in hide

side

the edges,

swaying

gracefully. protrude

many my and length.

in

at

shy colour

water beds.

from of sids. the

Seadragon

small of

their

taeniolatus which family destruction are of Seadragon The predators. since Victoria's Seadragons, While The Threats: should Weedy . often however, dorsal body

disguise!

all southern Weedy

through 2002.

found

larger also members

(pronounced fin not Seadragons

official along not

They includes is be

Seadragon Marine and

washed

adults the

relative strong the handled.

their

the

are

of prey marine Leafy

water.

the have

are pollution,

sing the international

ashore swimmers back

on of

Seadragon. has

easily

ultimate ‐

the faunal few nay They young

propels

Photo been

after Weedy ‐

if

thid‐

injured

habitat and are, any

© emblem and Weedy

masters

John storms. day)

their

They

are

Arien and

The Junior Ranger Way aquarium trade are the largest threats to Weedy Seadragons can live for up to 10 Know before you go, respect the Weedy Seadragon. years in the wild. parks and wildlife and leave no trace along your way, that’s the The Weedy Seadragon is fully protected Where to see a Weedy Seadragon in the Junior Ranger Way! under the Victorian Fisheries Act 1995. Wild? Victoria’s variety of Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Parks such as the Where Does a Weedy Seadragon Live? Point Addis Marine National Park are Weedy Seadragons are found only in great areas to explore and spot Weedy southern Australian waters. They live in Seadragons in their natural environment. coastal waters from Port Stephens in New South Wales down to the southern coast of Australia including Tasmania, Fascinating Facts: and up to Geraldton in Western  The Weedy Seadragon was Australia. selected as Victoria's official They are found in shallow waters, up to marine faunal emblem in 2002. 50 metres in depth and are most commonly inhabit kelp forests, reef  The males carry the eggs from edges, seagrass meadows, seaweed beds fertilisation to hatching. and pier pylons. What Does a Weedy Seadragon Eat?  Seadragons are not very strong swimmers and are often washed Using its long, thin, tubular snout the Weedy Seadragon uses powerful suction ashore after storms. to draw water and prey into its mouth. Special muscles in the snout can widen it to capture different sizes of food. Their diet consists mainly of small crustaceans Want to Know More? and sea lice. http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au A Weedy Seadragon’s Family Life http://www.dse.vic.gov.au Breeding occurs annually, usually in late spring. Prior to mating, the male Weedy Seadragon prepares the area of his tail where he will keep the eggs. His tail becomes slightly swollen, soft and spongy. The female lays up to 300 eggs on this area and they are fertilised. The male Seadragon carries these eggs for two months after which hatching occurs over a period of 6 days. Baby Weedy Seadragons hatch as miniature versions of the adults, just 2.5 centimetres long. Within 3 weeks they more than double in size to 7 centimetres. After around two years they will reach their maximum size, which can be up to 46 centimetres.