KYRIE KERR
PD.7
Leafy Sea Dragon
The Leafy Sea Dragon is an
Endangered Species.
Its Phyla is Chordata and its
Class is Actinopterygii. Some
distinguishing characteristics of its
Phyla are that they include
vertebrates, with several
invertebrates. They are united by
having at some point in their life a
notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve
cord, pharyngeal slits, an
endostyle, and a post-anal tail.
Some characteristics of its Class
are that they are ray-finned fishes.
They are called Actinopterygii
because they possess lepidotrichia
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LEAFY SEA DRAGON
The leafy sea dragon is closely related to a sea horse, a pipefish, and the weedy sea dragon. They are located in
southern and western Australia. Their habitat is that they are found in the waters of Australia from the
Kangaroo Islands on the Southern shoreline to Jurien Bay on the Western shoreline.
or “fin rays”. Their fins being webs
of skin supported by bony or
horny spines as opposed to the
fleshy, lobed fins that characterize
the class Sarcopterygii. They are
the dominant class of vertebrates
with nearly 30,000 species. They
are found in shallow temperate
waters in southern and western
Australia. They are found in
clumps of sand in water 50 meters
deep, hiding among rocks and sea
grass.
Information
The leafy sea dragon is
endangered because of
pollution and industrial
runoff as well as collection by
fascinated divers who are
entranced by their unique
appearance.
In response to these
dangers they have been
officially protected by the
Australian government. You
have to have a special license
to collect them. It is illegal
to export them without a
permit.
The leafy sea dragon has
a long, pipe-like snout that it
uses to feed. It primarily eats
crustaceans including
plankton and mysids, but its
diet also includes shrimp and
other small fish. It catches
its prey using its camouflage
ability. Leafy sea dragons
oddly enough do not have
teeth, which is rare amongst
animals that eat small fish
and shrimp. They are
secondary consumers. They
are not eaten by anything
because they are camouflaged
and they have a hard bony
covering.
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 KYRIE KERR
PD.7

INFORMATION ABOUT THE LEAFY SEA DRAGON

Some adaptations of the leafy sea dragon are that
the lobes of skin that grow on the leafy sea dragon
give it the appearance of seaweed, allowing it to
camouflage with its surroundings. Its leafy
appearance also allows it to appear to move through
the water like a piece of floating seaweed. The leafy
sea dragon can also change color to blend in, but this
ability relies on the sea dragon’s diet, location, and
stress levels.
Leafy sea dragons reproduce sexually and the
eggs are fertilized externally or directly. The male
leafy sea dragon cares for the eggs. Females deposit
eggs on the tail of the make where they grow until
they are mature. It takes a total of 9 weeks for the
eggs to begin to hatch. After this period the male
pumps its tail until the infants emerge usually 24-48
hours. Once they are born they are completely
independent from their parents. It takes them about
one month to reach sexual maturity.

OTHER INTERESTING INFORMATION

Feurieu Peninsula, with a theme of
celerating the leafy sea dragon. Te
inaugural festival in 2005 attracted
over 7000 participants and
visitors.

The leafy sea dragon is the by the District Council of

official marine emblem of the state Yankalilla, South Australia. It is a
of South Australia. A biennial festival of the environment, arts,
Leafy Sea Dragon Festival is held and culture of the southern

REFERENCES
<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafy_sea_dragon<ref>
<ref>http://search.creativecommons.org/<ref>

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