Juvenile Weedy Seadragon

The weedy seadragon’s leaf-like appendages resemble the swaying kelp fronds found in their habitat. They drift gracefully around seaweed beds and seagrass meadows relying on camouflage and stealth to approach their unsuspecting prey. Feeding on tiny crustaceans and other zooplankton, weedys suck prey into the end of their long tube-like nose. Specially developed muscles and bones allow them to generate a lot of suction. Lacking a caudal (tail) fin, weedies must rely on their ventral (belly) and dorsal (upper) fins for swimming. Because of their limited swimming capabilities, each year a number of individuals are found washed ashore on the beaches of southern Australia.