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InformationThe leafy sea dragon is

endangered because of pollution and industrial runoff as well as collection by fascinated divers who are entranced by their unique appearance.

In response to these dangers they have been officially protected by the Australian government. You have to have a special license to collect them. It is illegal to export them without a permit.

The leafy sea dragon has a long, pipe-like snout that it uses to feed. It primarily eats crustaceans including plankton and mysids, but its diet also includes shrimp and other small fish. It catches its prey using its camouflage ability. Leafy sea dragons oddly enough do not have teeth, which is rare amongst animals that eat small fish and shrimp. They are secondary consumers. They are not eaten by anything because they are camouflaged and they have a hard bony covering.

Leafy Sea DragonThe Leafy Sea Dragon is an Endangered Species.

Its Phyla is Chordata and its Class is Actinopterygii. Some distinguishing characteristics of its Phyla are that they include vertebrates, with several invertebrates. They are united by having at some point in their life a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, an endostyle, and a post-anal tail. Some characteristics of its Class are that they are ray-finned fishes. They are called Actinopterygii because they possess lepidotrichia

or “fin rays”. Their fins being webs of skin supported by bony or horny spines as opposed to the fleshy, lobed fins that characterize the class Sarcopterygii. They are the dominant class of vertebrates with nearly 30,000 species. They are found in shallow temperate waters in southern and western Australia. They are found in clumps of sand in water 50 meters deep, hiding among rocks and sea grass.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LEAFY SEA DRAGONThe leafy sea dragon is closely related to a sea horse, a pipefish, and the weedy sea dragon. They are located in southern and western Australia. Their habitat is that they are found in the waters of Australia from the Kangaroo Islands on the Southern shoreline to Jurien Bay on the Western shoreline.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE LEAFY SEA DRAGON

Some adaptations of the leafy sea dragon are that the lobes of skin that grow on the leafy sea dragon give it the appearance of seaweed, allowing it to camouflage with its surroundings. Its leafy appearance also allows it to appear to move through the water like a piece of floating seaweed. The leafy sea dragon can also change color to blend in, but this ability relies on the sea dragon’s diet, location, and stress levels.

Leafy sea dragons reproduce sexually and the eggs are fertilized externally or directly. The male leafy sea dragon cares for the eggs. Females deposit eggs on the tail of the make where they grow until they are mature. It takes a total of 9 weeks for the eggs to begin to hatch. After this period the male pumps its tail until the infants emerge usually 24-48 hours. Once they are born they are completely independent from their parents. It takes them about one month to reach sexual maturity.

The leafy sea dragon is the official marine emblem of the state of South Australia. A biennial Leafy Sea Dragon Festival is held

by the District Council of Yankalilla, South Australia. It is a festival of the environment, arts, and culture of the southern

Feurieu Peninsula, with a theme of celerating the leafy sea dragon. Te inaugural festival in 2005 attracted over 7000 participants and visitors.

REFERENCES<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafy_sea_dragon<ref><ref>http://search.creativecommons.org/<ref>

OTHER INTERESTING INFORMATION