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Leveled Reading Research Activities Presentation Leveled Reading Leveled Reading Research Activities Presentation ATI RE VE C K R A A A A L L L L E C C C C C N S C I E Editable Presentation hosted on Google Slides. Click to Download. Description Description ● The leafy seadragon is a fish that gets ● The lobes of skin that its name from resembling a mythical grow on them provide dragon. them with camouflage by making them look like ● They are slightly larger than most seaweed. seahorses. ● Even when they swim, ● The leafy seadragon is one of three they look like floating seadragon species that have been seaweed especially discovered. since they can change their colors to blend in more. Leafy Seadragon Habitat & Range Unique Characteristics Reproduction ● Leafy seadragons are found exclusively ● The leafy seadragon uses the ● With the leafy seadragon, the in southern Australian waters. fins placed at the side of its males care for the eggs instead of head to turn and steer. the females. ● They are known to travel hundreds of meters from their habitat locations, but ● However, the outer skin is pretty ● The female produces 250 bright they always return to their homes using a rigid and that limits its mobility. pink eggs that she deposits on the strong sense of direction. male’s tale. ● They’ve been observed staying ● They are mostly found in sand patches in in one location for up to 68 hours ● After 9 weeks, the eggs hatch waters that are 160 feet deep. at a time. They might also move depending on the water for a lengthy period of time as conditions. Once the seadragon ● Scuba divers commonly see them. well. is born, it is fully independent. Diet Predators, Threats & Status Conservation Organizations ● Leafy seadragons are strictly ● This seadragon is vulnerable to many ● The Seahorse Hawaii Foundation has carnivores. threats. an Adopt a Leafy Sea Dragon ● They feed on plankton and ● They suffer from natural ones like being Program, which supports the other small crustaceans. slow swimmers at birth. breeding of captive seadragons in aquariums to stop the capture of ● They’ve specifically become endangered individuals in the wild. due to pollution and industrial run off. ● Due to their unique appearance, they’re often collected for trade purposes as well. Extended Video Did You Know? ● Like seahorses, it’s the male who gets pregnant and gives birth to the babies. Females lay 100-250 eggs on a patch under the male’s tail. ● Because many divers started taking leafy seadragons home as pets the Australian government start to protect them. ● The tail of a male leafy seadragon turns bright yellow when they are ready to mate. “The Vanishing Dragon” Leafy Seadragon - Species Profile - Description The leafy seadragon is a fish that gets its name from resembling a mythical dragon. They are slightly larger than most seahorses. The leafy seadragon is one of three seadragon species that have been discovered. The lobes of skin that grow on them provide them with camouflage by making them look like seaweed. Even when they swim, they look like floating seaweed especially since they can change their colors to blend in more. Habitat & Range Leafy seadragons are found exclusively in southern Australian waters. They are known to travel hundreds of meters from their habitat locations, but they always return to their homes using a strong sense of direction. They are mostly found in sand patches in waters that are 160 feet deep. Scuba divers commonly see them. Unique Characteristics The leafy seadragon uses the fins placed at the side of its head to turn and steer. However, the outer skin is pretty rigid and that limits its mobility. They’ve been observed staying in one location for up to 68 hours at a time. They might also move for a lengthy period of time as well. Reproduction With the leafy seadragon, the males care for the eggs instead of the females. The female produces 250 bright pink eggs that she deposits on the male’s tale. After 9 weeks, the eggs hatch depending on the water conditions. Once the seadragon is born, it is fully independent. Diet Leafy seadragons are strictly carnivores. They feed on plankton and other small crustaceans. Predators, Threats & Conservation wild Facts This seadragon is vulnerable to many threats. They suffer from natural Scientific Phycodurus ones like being slow swimmers at birth. They’ve specifically become Name eques endangered due to pollution and industrial run off. Due to their unique appearance, they’re often collected for trade purposes as well. Weight About 4 oz Conservation Organizations Length 1 – 2 ft The Seahorse Hawaii Foundation has an Adopt a Leafy Sea Dragon Program, which supports the breeding of captive seadragons in Lifespan 5 – 7 ft aquariums to stop the capture of individuals in the wild. You can learn Closest Seahorses more at: http://www.seahorsehawaii.org/ Relatives & Pipefish © Clark Creative Education Reflection Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. Before you read the article, what did you know about leafy seadragons? What new information is most interesting to you? 2. If you were describing a leafy seadragon to someone who had never heard of one, what would you say? Use information from the text. © Clark Creative Education Leafy Seadragon - Species Profile - Description The leafy seadragon are fish that look like its relative the sea horse. Seadragons are slightly larger than most seahorses. They can grow to be almost 10 inches long. Their skin protects them by changing colors to blend in with floating seaweeds. That way, other sea creatures won't find them to eat. Habitat & Range Leafy seadragons are found only in the waters of Australia. They can travel many miles from their habitats, Seadragons know their way home. They are mostly found in sand patches in deep waters. Scuba divers often see leafy seadragons. Unique Characteristics The leafy seadragon uses the fins on its head to turn. The seadragons may stay in one spot for up to 68 hours. Reproduction Only the leafy seadragon males care for the eggs. The female places 250 bright pink eggs on the male's tail. After 9 weeks, the eggs hatch if the water is clean. Once the seadragon is born, it can live on its own. Diet Leafy seadragons only eat meat. They feed on plankton and other small shellfish. Predators, Threats & Conservation These seadragons are slow swimmers. They are also losing wild Facts their habitats due to companies putting trash in the water. Scientific Phycodurus Name eques People also like to catch and sell them. Conservation Organizations Weight About 4 oz The Seahorse Hawaii Foundation has a Adopt a Leafy Sea Length 1 – 2 ft Dragon Program. They want seadragons to be born in Lifespan 5 – 7 ft aquariums. The Foundation hopes this will stop humans from hurting their habitats in the wild. You can learn more at: Closest Seahorses http://www.seahorsehawaii.org/ Relatives & Pipefish © Clark Creative Education Reflection Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. What is the most interesting thing about leafy seadragons? Use information from the text. 2. How would you describe leafy seadragons to someone who had never heard of one? © Clark Creative Education .
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