What is a leafy sea dragon?
The leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques) is one of two species of sea dragon found in Australia’s southern waters and nowhere else in the world, the other being the weedy sea dragon. Despite its fearsome name, it is incredibly beautiful in shape and colouring and its camouflaging appendages give it a fragile appearance. It is a relative of the seahorse and belongs to the pipefish family Sygnathidae. What do they look like? Leafy sea dragons get their common name from the leaf-like appendages on their bodies. They resemble floating pieces of seaweed, which makes them difficult for predators to find in their natural habitat (it also makes them difficult for divers to see too, so anyone who sees one swimming in the wild is exceptionally lucky!). Most adults are green to yellowish-brown with thin bands or stripes across the body. They can reach a total length of 45 centimetres. Where do they live? The leafy sea dragon lives among rocky reefs, seaweed beds, seagrass meadows and on sand patch
