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Ocean Watch
By Susan Scott
Monday, September 18, 2000
Last week at the Waikiki Aquarium, I saw the best fish I have ever seen in my life. Really. From the first time I ever donned a dive mask or gazed into a fish tank, I have never seen a more breathtaking species. I stayed at the facility until closing time and still didn't want to go. Aquarium’s sea
dragons cast a spellOnly after I promised myself I would come again soon did I willingly bid farewell to the aquarium's stunning new residents: three leafy sea dragons.
I know I'm gushing, but most people do when they see these fish. When you first look into the big tank, you see three pieces of drifting seaweed. But a closer look at those golden plants shows the "leaves" are actually extensions of the fishes' skin. From there it's easy to spot the two independently moving eyes, the sea-horsy face and an armored body full of spikes. You can never overlook the sea dragons again.
The leafy sea dragon is native to the chilly waters off the southern coast of Australia. There the well-camouflaged fish hover in kelp forests, suctioning up passing shrimp and other crustaceans.
Leafy sea dragons are both unusual and rare, making them a coveted species in the aquarium trade. In Japan, people have paid up to $10,000 for a mature sea dragon.
Fortunately, the Australian government strictly regulates collecting and promotes aquaculturing of this fish. The aquarium's sea dragons (and most others) were grown specifically for this purpose. This is a tricky business since so far no one has yet been able to breed this species in captivity.
Currently, people raise sea dragons by obtaining a government permit to collect a limited number of pregnant males, then raise the offspring when they hatch.
Yep, pregnant males. Like their close relatives, the sea horses, it's the males that carry the fertile eggs.
A male sea dragon carries his eggs on his rear underside until they hatch in four to five weeks. Newly hatched sea dragons are about three-quarters of an inch long. In two years, the fish reach their mature length of 15 to 20 inches.
The sea dragons in the Waikiki Aquarium arrived when they were about 3 months old. Thanks to patient hand-feeding, chilled water and lots of TLC, the 8-month-old dragonettes are healthy and now ready for display.
And what a display it is. Next to the big tank holding the fish, a wall exhibit tells all about sea dragons and their relatives. One section is specifically designed for children, and the kids I saw there loved it.
This is the year of the dragon on the Chinese calendar, and lucky for us, the year of the sea dragon at the Waikiki Aquarium. I'll see you there.
Marine science writer Susan Scott's Ocean Watch column
appears Mondays in the Star-Bulletin. Contact her at honu@aloha.net.
