Weedy seadragons are a spectacular vision for divers. Like many marine species, very little is known if its ecology. They are commonly found around Sydney's popular dive spots. However anecdotal reports show this species may be on the decline. Habitat loss is a primary contributor to their decline. SACF contributed to the research of Prof Dave Booth of University of Technology Sydney to find out more about this enigmatic stunner.

Prof Dave Booth, of UTS, and his research team have been studying the biological and ecological habits of the Weedy Seadragon since 2001. To read more about the Weedy Seadragon click here for the final report.

The Weedy Seadragon is a fish endemic to southern Australian waters and is a protected species in NSW. Despite their protection status, there has never been any previous research of their population density, habitat use and behaviour.

Sanchez-Camara and Booth have tagged over 100 weedy seadragons since 2001 using a Visual Implant Fluorescent Elastomer (VISD). This enables various combinations to be used to tag body parts on the seadragon to allow easy identification of each individual.

Booth and his research team investigated the temporal and spatial changes in life history of the weedy seadragon by assessing their abundance, sex ratios, longevity, migration, survival and distribution of the weedy seadragon at three sites around Sydney.

What they found out about being a weedy seadragon in Sydney- 

From this study it was found that seadragons tend to be solitary creatures who occasionally pair up. There were no large-scale seasonal migrations undertaken by the seadragons during the study. The number of sea dragons found in an area had a male to female sex ratio being 1:1. The densities ranged from 10 individuals per hectare up to 65 seadragons per hectare.

Males give birth 

Male weedy seadragons like male humans have a slightly lower life expectancy than females. Whereas juveniles have an equal chance of surviving. However, unlike male humans, the male seadragon fertilises and incubates offspring, eventually embedding them into their skin (Kuiter 2000). Pregnant males were found to hide more in kelp beds than any other group as it offers protection from predators. The majority of seadragons were found on the  border of kelp beds, however they did not spend alot of time feeding near these kelp beds.

Future protection of their habitats is the key to protecting the weedy seadragon

Booth and his research teams study showed seadragons to be attached to a particular territory as they can be found in the same area throughout the year. They prefer a heavily weeded rock habitat or a weedy sand habitat. From these findings it is important to continue protecting both the weedy seadragon as a species and it's habitat for conservation, as currently they are attached to one particular territory which they do not migrate from.