The two species of sea dragons—leafy and weedy—are close relatives of seahorses, with extra decorative fins that help them blend with the floating seaweed in which they live.

What They Eat
Sea dragons eat tiny sea creatures, mostly shrimp-like animals called mysids. They may suck in as many as 1,000 a day.

Where They Live
Sea dragons exist in only a very small part of the earth’s oceans, relying on particular kelp (seaweed) forests off the southern coast of Australia.

What They Do
Sea dragons swim slowly with nearly invisible movements of their fins but mostly go with the flow of the water among the sea plants they resemble.

How They’re Doing
Sea dragons came perilously close to disappearing in the 1990s due to pollution and habitat loss. Australia has officially protected the populations but pollution remains a threat.