San Diego aquarium successfully breeds rare weedy sea dragon fish
The fish are native to Australia and, due to their small population numbers, little is known about the species.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFA Weedy Sea Dragon.(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego announced Thursday that they were able to successfully breed a rare weedy sea dragon, cousin to the sea horse, making them one of the very few aquariums to have done so, The Los Angeles Times reported.“This is a momentous event for our team and our sea horse and sea dragon breeding program,” said the aquarium's animal care director Jennifer Nero Moffatt in a statement.“Sea dragons are charismatic, sensitive and require detailed husbandry. We have spent over 25 years working with these animals and love that we have made the next steps to conserve this delicate species.”The fish are native to Australia and due to their small population numbers, little is known about the species. However, they are known for their elaborate mating displays, where the two fish dance snouts together in a spinning motion.“This ‘dance’ is essential for the successful transfer of eggs from the female onto the male’s tail, where he then fertilizes and hosts the eggs. If mating is successful, the male will hold the eggs until they hatch about six weeks later,” the aquarium said in a statement.The babies will not be available for public viewing for some time, as the display is undergoing a lengthy cleaning by the aquarium, the Times reported.According to the Associated Press, the hatchlings come less than a year after the aquarium built what might just be the world's largest sea dragon habitat, as their native population is threatened by pollution. The habitat includes weedy sea dragons as well as another species, the leafy sea dragons, which have yet to be bred in captivity at all.
