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    Synchronized Swimming with Leafy Sea Dragons

    Since sharing the story on Dr. Chung’s Genicanthus personatus pair, we’ve gotten some questions on their neighbors–a pair of Leafy Sea Dragons (Phycodurus eques).  Dr. Chung has observed them spawning and laying eggs, but he has not attempted to rear them. This is because the eggs were not successfully transfered to the male and dropped [...]

    leafy seadragon

    Since sharing the story on Dr. Chung’s Genicanthus personatus pair, we’ve gotten some questions on their neighbors–a pair of Leafy Sea Dragons (Phycodurus eques).  Dr. Chung has observed them spawning and laying eggs, but he has not attempted to rear them. This is because the eggs were not successfully transfered to the male and dropped to the aquarium floor.

    leafy seadragon eggs

    For a relaxing Monday night video, turn on some relaxing music and watch as the Leafy Seadragons mimic each others’ movements like synchronized swimmers.

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    • http://www.calacademy.org Matt Wandell

      Thanks for the update Eric.

    • Nicholas Sadaka

      Wow, very tranquil and peaceful. Almost like mirror images. I have a question, but please understand that it is simply a question and not criticism. Behaviorally, will it affect the seadragons to not have a plant or macroalgae in the water to mimic, or are they fine without it like a clownfish without an anemone? Thanks and thanks for sharing the video!

    • http://www.calacademy.org Matt Wandell

      Hey Nicholas,
      They are probably about as “fine” without it as clowns are without an anemone, or masked angels are without a nice rocky reef to swim into. It is really tough to quantify “happiness” in fish, other than to observe things like growth, reproduction, and lifespan. I’d say if they are producing eggs that they are being treated exceptionally well–that’s about as far as any public aquarium has been able to get with this species. No eggs have ever been successfully transferred to a male and no eggs have ever hatched. They might feel a bit more comfortable with some fake macroalgae but what may be more important is the amount of swimming room, especially vertically. If you’ve seen these guys at aquariums you may have noticed that they’re always kept in BIG tanks, relative to the size of the fish.

      Hope this helps.

    • Nicholas Sadaka

      That does help Matt…and absolutely makes sense. Thanks very much for that explanation. I do like feeling like we’re TRYING to provide as natural a setting as possible for things we pull out of the ocean, but our aquariums are so unnatural anyway that I agree that addressing their most fundamental needs first and foremost is paramount importance. Thanks again, Matt.

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