Yes, dragons of the sea are real... and they're masters of disguise March 26, 2021 © Sylke Rohrlach
What is a Sea Dragon?
The sea dragon, or seadragon, is a small fish found in shallow coastal waters of Tasmania and southern and western Australia. The animals resemble seahorses in terms of size and body shape, but feature small, leaf-like fins that camouflage them from predators. While seahorses can grip objects with their tails, sea dragon tails are not prehensile.
Are there any real life Dragons?
Real life dragons that actually exist. We countdown 5 real life dragons that actually exist. Scientists state there is no such thing as a giant flying lizard that breathes fire. But the natural world has plenty of real dragons, and some of them can fly. In this video we countdown 5 real life dragons.
How many types of sea dragons are there in Australia?
There are only 3 species of sea dragons, and they all live off the coast of Australia. They are the kings and queens of camouflage! Weedy sea dragons and leafy sea dragons have a spectacular array of fins that look just like the seaweeds and grasses that they live in.
What is the difference between a sea dragon and Seahorse?
The animals resemble seahorses in terms of size and body shape, but feature small, leaf-like fins that camouflage them from predators. While seahorses can grip objects with their tails, sea dragon tails are not prehensile.
What dragon lives in the sea?
Sea dragons, whose scientific name is Phycodurus eques, are also known as leafy sea dragons, Glaudert's sea dragons, or simply “leafies." Sea dragons are fish from the scientific family Syngnathidae, which includes the sea dragon's closest marine relative: the seahorse!
Where does a sea dragon live?
Range. The common seadragon is endemic to Australian waters of the Eastern Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean and the South Western Pacific Ocean. It can be found approximately between Port Stephens (New South Wales) and Geraldton, Western Australia, as well as Tasmania.
When did the sea dragon go extinct?
Evidence suggests their extinction about 100 million years ago was driven by intense climate change and their inability to adapt to the changing world.
Do sea dragons live in the ocean?
Sea Dragon Habitat These animals are only found in the ocean near Southern and Western Australia and around Tasmania. For the most part, they live in the shallow, coastal waters, but may be found at depths of up to 150 feet.
Are sea dragons poisonous?
The blue dragon stores the man o' war's stinging nematocysts within its finger-like appendages, making itself equally venomous to predators. One sting from this little guy can lead to nausea, pain, vomiting, acute allergic contact dermatitis, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
What eats a sea dragon?
Sea dragons do not have any predators. Their combination of excellent camouflage, tough jointed plates and sharp dorsal spines offer adequate protection.
Is a seahorse a dragon?
Seahorses and sea dragons belong to the order Syngnathiformes and family Syngnathidae. As such, these two types of bony fishes share many similar characteristics. Seahorses belong to the genus Hippocampus, while their close relatives, the two species of sea dragons, belong to the genera Phycodurus and Phyllopteryx.
Can you keep sea dragons as pets?
Seadragons are not suitable pets for hobby collectors because they are very difficult to feed and maintain. Pang is totally dedicated to the care of his seadragons, so much so that he goes diving almost every day to net live shrimp for them to eat.
Why do we believe in dragons?
The Human Brain. The most fascinating explanation involves an unexpected animal: the human. In his book An Instinct for Dragons, anthropologist David E. Jones argues that belief in dragons is so widespread among ancient cultures because evolution embedded an innate fear of predators in the human mind.
What's the biggest sea dragon?
Of the three known extant species of seadragon, the common, aka weedy, seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) grows to the largest size, with a maximum length from snout to tail tip of 45 centimetres (1 foot 5.7 inches).
What is an Aqua dragon?
Aqua Dragons is a brand name for some amazing real live aquatic creatures that you can hatch and grow at home. Their scientific name is Artemia salina and they have been living in seas and salty lakes for millions of years; right back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth!
How big can sea dragons grow?
Phylum Phycodurus Leafy sea dragons change color to blend in with their environment. They grow to a length of 20 to 24 cm (8.0 to 9.5 in).
What is a sea dragon called?
The leafy seadragon (Phycodurus eques) or Glauert's seadragon, is the only member of the genus Phycodurus and is a marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, which includes seadragons, pipefish, and seahorses. Leafy seadragon.
Is a sea dragon a seahorse?
Seadragons are in the same family as seahorses (Syngnathidae) but they are different in a number of ways. Seahorses are quite common and are found in tropical and subtropical waters all around the world, while seadragons are exclusively found near Australia.
How long do sea dragons live for?
Seadragons are hard to observe in the wild and therefore there are no direct measurements of their life span yet. In captivity, seadragons are known to have lived for up to nine years. This is considerably longer than their relatives, the seahorses, which usually live up to five years.
How do sea dragons survive?
Slow-swimming and with fragile bodies, seadragons depend on camouflage to hide them from predators. Their leafy appendages, ability to change color to match their seaweed and seagrass habitats, and ability to sway like plants in the water current help protect them from predators.
Where is the sea dragon found?
in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. The sea dragon, or seadragon, is a small fish found in shallow coastal waters of Tasmania and southern and western Australia.
How many species of sea dragons are there?
There are two phyla and three species of sea dragons.
How big do leafy sea dragons get?
Leafy sea dragons change color to blend in with their environment. They grow to a length of 20 to 24 cm (8.0 to 9.5 in). Leafy protrusions and the ability to change color make the leafy sea dragon nearly invisible against its surroundings. Shin Okamoto, Getty Images.
Why do sea dragons have red color?
Scientists believe the coloration may help the animal camouflage itself in the deeper waters it inhabits, in which red hues are more readily absorbed. The common or weedy sea dragon features spines and fewer leafy appendages than the leafy sea dragon.
What are the threats to the ruby sea dragon?
Some sea dragons get washed up by storms. While fishing bycatch and aquarium collection do affect the species, these effects are not believed to greatly impact the species. The most significant threats are from pollution, habitat degradation, and habitat loss.
How long does it take for a sea dragon to hatch?
A female produces up to 250 pink eggs. They are fertilized when she deposits them onto the male's tail. The eggs attach to a region called the brood patch, which supplies eggs with oxygen until they hatch. As with seahorses, the male cares for the eggs until they hatch, which takes about 9 weeks. The male shakes and pumps his tail to aid hatching. Sea dragons become completely independent as soon as they hatch.
Where do leafy sea dragons live?
This species lives along the southern and western coasts of Australia. Leafy sea dragons change color to blend in with their environment.
Where do sea dragons live?
There are only 3 species of sea dragons, and they all live off the coast of Australia. They are the kings and queens of camouflage!
Why is the sea dragon red?
The most recently discovered sea dragon (just in 2015!), called the ruby sea dragon, lacks the elaborate fins and instead relies on its red coloration for camouflage. Yep, as you go deeper in the ocean, red fades to black because of how light is absorbed by water molecules.
What is a leafy sea dragon?
Leafy sea dragons (like the star of our latest children’s book, Mira, the Misfit Sea Dragon ), are simply astounding in their ability to blend in with the surrounding seaweed — by having fins that look exactly like the seaweed itself:
Where do sea dragons live?
There are only 3 species of sea dragons, and they all live off the coast of Australia. They are the kings and queens of camouflage!
Why is the sea dragon red?
The most recently discovered sea dragon (just in 2015!), called the ruby sea dragon, lacks the elaborate fins and instead relies on its red coloration for camouflage. Yep, as you go deeper in the ocean, red fades to black because of how light is absorbed by water molecules.
What is a leafy sea dragon?
Leafy sea dragons (like the star of our latest children’s book, Mira, the Misfit Sea Dragon ), are simply astounding in their ability to blend in with the surrounding seaweed — by having fins that look exactly like the seaweed itself: (Haven’t gotten our new book yet? It’s a heartwarming story about finding what you’re made for…featuring real ocean animals of course! Click here to see how we illustrate and here to see it on Amazon, preview included.)
What is a dragon?
Dragons are large, serpentine mythological creatures. These creatures appear in folktales of many cultures across the world. Today, dragons’ stories continue to capture the public's imagination in books, films, and television shows, with today’s fiction dragons having been invented and reinvented to fit different people’s ideas and descriptions.
Who first described dragons?
Dragons were described by Sumerians and Ancient Greeks.
What is a dragon in the Bible?
An example of a dragon description from the Bible is the description of Leviathan, a massive creature with the form of a sea monster described in Chapter 41 of the Book of Job and also in the books of Psalms, Isaiah, and Amos. In Christianity, godly saints and legends of righteousness are seen battling with Satan in form of dragons.
What is the belief in dragons based on?
In some cultures, for instance, in communities that people had no knowledge about the existence of dinosaurs, the belief in dragons was not just based on legends and other stories, but on hard evidence such as the gigantic bones that were periodically excavated from the earth.
What are the characteristics of a dragon?
Dragon Characteristics. Dragons are typically depicted as powerful and fearsome. Some dragons have wings while others are wingless, some can talk and breathe fire while others cannot. Additionally, some dragons are a few feet long while others span for miles.
What is the fire breathing aspect of dragons?
According to scholars, the fire-breathing aspect of dragons is thought to have begun in the Middle Ages depictions of the mouth of hell. Art from the Middle Ages, such as the art by Bosch, showed the entrance to hell portrayed as the literal mouth of a monster with smoke and flames coming out of it.
Why is Satan called a dragon?
But such vicious attacks could well be the reason that Satan is metaphorically called a “dragon” in Scripture (e.g., Revelation 12:3); also consider Satan’s use of a serpent in Genesis 3:1 to deceive Eve and ultimately get Adam to bring sin and death into the world (Romans 5:12).
Why does Satan want people to accept the myth of dragons?
Satan wants people to accept the idea that dragons were myth because this assumption is another attack on the authority of God ’s Word.
What does the dragon on the flag of Malta represent?
Even modern flags such as that of Bhutan or Malta also sport dragons referring back to previous accounts. In the case of Malta, it represents St. George killing the dragon in the upper corner.
What animal is in the Golden Diadem?
There are several animals portrayed in this ancient golden diadem from Kazakhstan. The onset of the second portion is a dragon. 16
Is Leviathan a dragon?
Even Leviathan is called a dragon in Isaiah 27:1. Some have argued that the fiery flying serpents (and fiery serpents) were myth, but God clearly reveals them as real creatures, just as other creatures are real in the immediate context like scorpions, lions, vipers, donkeys, camels, and so on.
Where was the flying dragon made?
This flying dragon was made by Native Americans in Utah. This relief in Angkor, Cambodia, is something akin to Stegosaurustype of dragon. 15. Built by the order of King Nebuchadnezzar, the eighth gate of Babylon has aurochs (an extinct type of cattle) and a dragon alternating all the way up the gate.
Is a dragon a real creature?
Dragons were viewed as real creatures by virtually all ancient writers who commented on them. While many references could be cited, consider these select accounts: “But according to accounts from Phrygia there are Drakones in Phrygia too, and these grow to a length of sixty feet.” 3.
What is the closest dragon to a real dragon?
The Komodo Dragon is probably the closest dragon to the ‘real’ dragons in terms of size. That is because Komodo Dragons are the largest lizards in the world, as these animals can easily topple 300 pounds in weight.
Where Can Dragons Be Found?
If we are talking about the dragons that we read in literature, then these dragons are basically found everywhere, depending on the type of literature.
Did ‘Real’ Dragons Exist In The Past?
While the ‘real’ dragons that we often watch and read do not exist in the world we live in today, did they ever exist in the past?
Why are dragons so fascinating?
That is because they are captivating due to their size and ability to fly and breathe fire. And if you look at mythologies and legends, dragons have always been a part of the history of human history. So, in that regard, are dragons real, and do they exist?
What animal looks like a dragon?
Another good example of an animal that looks like a dragon but is far from it is the Blue Dragon Sea Slug. As the name suggests, this is a sea slug that floats on the ocean surface. The reason why they are called dragons is that they look like flying dragons that have their wings spread out.
Do Komodo dragons fly?
Like the dragons that we see or read about, Komodo Dragons are large scaly lizards that walk on their fours. They are also large enough to eat humans and other animals that are bigger than humans. However, as large as they may be, they neither breathe fire nor fly.
Where did dragons originate?
Meanwhile, western dragons originate in European countries . These dragons can be read in all sorts of European literature and different mythologies such as Greek, Roman, and Norse mythologies. Even the bible mentions dragons quite a few times. Then there are different tales and legends of knights slaying dragons in England and the old Germanic regions all over Europe.
Why are seadragons black?
First Look: Rare Ruby Seadragon Filmed in the Wild. Because "red is the first color of the spectrum that gets filtered out," underwater, these fish appear black, helping them hide from predators, says Stiller, a graduate student at the University of California, San Diego.
Why do we wear red on sea dragons?
We wear red when we want to stand out, but for the ruby seadragon, "it's a camouflaging tactic at depth,” says Josefin Stiller, who helped film the dragon for the first time recently in western Australia. (Related: " Rare Ruby Seadragon Caught on Video for the First Time .")
How does a Komodo dragon kill?
The 300-plus-pound Komodo dragon kills prey with a combination of nasty venom and lacerating teeth that dispatch that venom speedily into the victim's flesh. (Related: " Komodo Dragon Kills with Venom, Researchers Find .") There is one animal brave enough to take them on.
What do black dragonfish have in their eyes?
In its larval stage, the female black dragonfish has eyestalks that can reach half its body length and allow her to see farther in the deep. As she grows, her eyes recede, and she blossoms huge teeth; rows of light-producing organs lining the body; and a barbel, a whisker-like chin projection.
What slug steals stinging cells from Portuguese Man of Wars?
The blue dragon sea slug steals stinging cells from Portuguese man-of-wars to defend itself.
How many flying dragons have patagia?
Each of the 50 known flying dragon species has patagia with different hues and patterns.
What is the blue dragon's nematocyst?
The blue dragon steals stinging cells, called nematocysts, from man-of-wars, storing them in specialized organs in the tips of their cerata, or wings —which may explain their name. If threatened by a predator, the nudibranch will discharge the stinging cells, says Valdés.
Diet
Reproduction
- Except for mating, sea dragons are solitary animals. They reach sexual maturity by one to two years of age, at which time the males court females. A female produces up to 250 pink eggs. They are fertilized when she deposits them onto the male's tail. The eggs attach to a region called the brood patch, which supplies eggs with oxygen until they hatch. As with seahorses, the male care…
Conservation Status
- Both weedy and leafy sea dragons are listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. There is insufficient data to evaluate the conservation status of the ruby sea dragon. Some sea dragons get washed up by storms. While fishing bycatchand aquarium collection do affect the species, these effects are not believed to greatly impact the species. Th…
Captivity and Breeding Efforts
- Like seahorses, sea dragons are difficult to keep in captivity. While it's not illegal to own one, Australia prohibits their capture, only granting permits for research and conservation efforts. You can view these fascinating animals at most large aquariums and zoos. Researchers have successfully bred the common or weedy sea dragon. While Ocean Riderin Kona, Hawaii has gott…
Sources
- Branshaw-Carlson, Paula (2012). "Seadragon husbandry in the new millennium: Lessons learned from the past will create a sustainable future" (PDF). 2012 International Aquarium Congress 9–14 Septembe...
- Connolly, R. M. (September 2002). "Patterns of movement and habitat use by leafy seadragons tracked ultrasonically". Journal of Fish Biology. 61 (3): 684–695. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.20…
- Branshaw-Carlson, Paula (2012). "Seadragon husbandry in the new millennium: Lessons learned from the past will create a sustainable future" (PDF). 2012 International Aquarium Congress 9–14 Septembe...
- Connolly, R. M. (September 2002). "Patterns of movement and habitat use by leafy seadragons tracked ultrasonically". Journal of Fish Biology. 61 (3): 684–695. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2002.tb00904.x
- Martin-Smith, K. & Vincent, A. (2006): Exploitation and trade of Australian seahorses, pipehorses, sea dragons and pipefishes (Family Syngnathidae). Oryx, 40: 141-151.
- Morrison, S. & Storrie, A. (1999). Wonders of Western Waters: The Marine Life of South-Western Australia. CALM. p. 68. ISBN 0-7309-6894-4.
