2024: The Year of the (Sea)Dragon

The 2024 Lunar New Year welcomes in the Year of the Dragon, bringing good fortune, strength… and an opportunity to appreciate and feature the “dragons” of the Syngnathidae family – the seadragons!

The Syngnathidae family, which includes seahorses and pipefishes, also contains three recognized species of seadragons; the weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus), the leafy seadragon (Phycodurus eques), and the recently discovered ruby seadragon (Phyllopteryx dewysea).  

Our IUCN SSC Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group is delighted to support conservation of these most wonderful of fishes.

Happily, seadragon populations seem to be doing well at present. The weedy and leafy seadragons are both listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, although the ruby seadragon is listed as Data Deficient, meaning we know too little to evaluate its status.

Seadragons are only found off the southern coast of Australia, with the weedy seadragon having the widest range, from north of Perth to Sydney. Ruby seadragons seem to live a little deeper (>50 m) than the other species. These magnificent creatures are identified by their fused jaws, long tube-like snouts, and the male’s brood patch that supports developing embryos.

To ensure that seadragons thrive, we need to safeguard their habitats. These creatures’ life-history traits, such as low mobility and slow swimming – along with extensive paternal care – make them particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and other human pressures. Please urge creation and effective implementation of protected areas and other measures to support their seagrass and seaweed homes.

We developed this collection of resources to highlight these wonderful creatures as we celebrate 2024, the Year of the (Sea)Dragon. Enjoy the stories, the images, and the videos. If you have more resources to offer, please do tell us!