The common seadragon, also called the weedy seadragon, is a marine fish of the order Syngnathiformes, which also includes the similar pipefishes, seahorses and trumpetfishes. Adult common seadragons are reddish in colour with yellow and purple striped markings, and they carry small, leaf-like appendages resembling kelp or seaweed fronds that provide camouflage, along with short spines for protection; like seahorses and other syngnathids, they have a tubular snout and a fused, toothless jaw used to capture small invertebrate prey at high speed. Males are narrower-bodied and darker than females, and weedy seadragons can reach 45 centimetres in length; the species is the marine emblem of the Australian state of Victoria.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to People Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceReddish colour with yellow and purple striped markings 1 Comparison
CITES Appendix Scientific NamePhyllopteryx taeniolatus 1 Conservation Status Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Wikidata: Weedy Seadragon
In Biome
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Common seadragon
Lead, sentence 1
The common seadragon or weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)
Threats
classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List
Lead, sentence 2
Adult common seadragons are a reddish colour, with yellow and purple striped markings
article text (relationship to people), EntityId 285520
While the common seadragon is a desired species in the international aquarium trade, the volume of wild-caught individuals is small and therefore not currently a major threat.
Biology
Individuals are observed either on their own or in pairs, feeding on tiny crustaceans and other zooplankton by sucking prey into their toothless mouths.
In Biome: Marine, Lead section
The common seadragon or weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is a marine fish of the order Syngnathiformes, which also includes the similar pipefishes, seahorses, and trumpetfishes among other species.
View the Source2. GBIF Species API
3. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Phyllopteryx taeniolatus (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITESQuote, Conservation Status: CITES
CITES No special status
Wikidata: Weedy Seadragon
- Wikidata Q1120403, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Child Taxon Of: Syngnathiformes, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
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