Leafy Sea Dragons
Kangaroo Island Diving
06.03.2013 - 06.03.2013
32 °C
We are on Kangaroo Island and I took the opportunity to do two dives from Kingscote. The first was at Western River Cove about an hour drive from Kingscote. The underwater scenery was quite different from the tropical waters that I normally dive in. The water temperature was not too cold (22oC) and I saw several fish that I have not seen before.
The second dive was under the Kingscote jetty, looking for Leafy Sea Dragons. We found three, one adult and two juveniles. They are my favourite small underwater creatures and the first time I saw them in the wild. The name is derived from the appearance, with long leaf-like protrusions coming from all over the body. These protrusions are not used for propulsion; they serve only as camouflage. As with seahorses, the male leafy seadragon cares for the eggs. The female produces up to 250 bright pink eggs, then deposits them on to the male's tail via a long tube.
Leafy Sea Dragon
Juvenile Leafy Sea Dragon
Surgeon fish
Nudibrach
Yellowtail Leatherjack
Horseshoe Leatherjacket
Cuttle fish
