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 |