📸 PhotoPhoto: Photo by and (C)2007 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ); derivative edit by Papa Lima Whiskey · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Leafy seadragon
Phycodurus eques (Leafy seadragon · リーフィーシードラゴン)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its maximum length of 50 cm is about 8 cm longer than the long side of an A3 sheet of paper (42 cm) (Comparison).
- 💡 According to ADW, its ornate appearance makes it desirable in the aquarium trade though difficult to keep, and its camouflage makes it a sought-after attraction for divers in Australia.
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The leafy seadragon is a syngnathid fish endemic to the southern waters of Australia, hard to spot because its body resembles seaweed. It swims slowly alone or in pairs.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its body is encased in hard ring-like bony plates and its snout is a toothless tube. Broad, flat appendages resembling seaweed fronds branch from its body, and sharp spines line its sides.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
Camouflaged as seaweed, it quietly approaches prey and sucks in small mysid shrimp, plankton, and larval fish. The male carries the eggs attached under his tail and broods them for about 4 weeks.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
No direct record connecting this species to Korea has been found.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List LC (2017) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/17096/67622420
- • IUCN Red List category LC — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • catalogueoflife.org — 4GYPB
- • iucnredlist.org — 67622420
- • wikidata.org — Q501644
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Leafy Seadragon Phycodurus eques 2500px PLW edit.jpg
- • animaldiversity.org — Phycodurus eques
- • fishbase.se — Phycodurus-eques.html
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Jamie Whitehouse · CC0 1.0
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.