Weedy_Sea_Dragon

Most aquarium visitors are not likely to recognize sea dragons as fish when viewing them for the first time. The camouflage of the leafy sea dragon is so perfect, it appears to be a plant even when swimming in open water. A diver has an even harder time identifying a "leafy", since in its natural habitat it may be hiding in clumps of floating seaweed or among kelp beds in dim light. Often the first identifying clue is the movement of an eye. This one appears to have tiny specks of dark algae growing along its trunk and leafy appendages.

Weedy Sea Dragons have been successfully bred in the United States in two aquariums. The world's first successful breeding was at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California as reported in this National Geographic story. The second breeding was by the Tennessee Aquarium.

Though they are similar in appearance to sea horses, weedy sea dragons (and leafies too) do not have a pouch like their seahorse counterparts. Instead the male carries its brood under its tail. Another difference is their horizontal posture while swimming, as shown here, versus a vertical posture typically observed with seahorses.

Identification: Phyllopteryx taeniolatus