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Leafy seadragon — printable fact sheet
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Leafy seadragon
Phycodurus eques
Phycodurus eques is found only along the southern coast of Australia, from Western Australia to Victoria, and its leaf-like appendages are not fins and do not propel it at all - they are purely decorative outgrowths that break its outline among the kelp and seagrass it drifts th…
Did you know?
- Despite their elaborate appearance, leafy seadragons are poor swimmers and rely almost entirely on camouflage to evade predators.
- Leafy seadragons are the marine emblem of South Australia and are fully protected; they cannot be taken from the wild. Individuals can be identified for life from their unique pattern of spots, so researchers photo-track them, and studies show they have small home ranges and can stay in the same patch of reef for years. They can change the colour of their leafy appendages somewhat to match local vegetation, though slowly, over days rather than seconds.
What I learned
Draw the leafy seadragon
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