Sea Dragon

The male of the species carries the fertilized eggs, attached under his tail, where they are incubated for about eight weeks. The young are independent at birth, beginning to eat shortly after. Mating in captivity is rare since researchers have yet to understand what biological or environmental factors trigger them to reproduce. In captivity the survival rate for Weedy Seadragons is about 60%.
A more cryptic relative of the Weedy Seadragon is the Leafy Seadragon, Phycodurus eques. In the November 2006 issue of National Geographic magazine, marine biologist Greg Rouse is reported as investigating the DNA variation of the two seadragon species across their ranges.
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the USA; and the Melbourne Aquarium in Melbourne in Australia are the only facilities in the world to have successfully bred Weedy Seadragons in captivity, though others occasionally report egg laying. As of June 2008, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, USA had a pregnant seadragon, which was expected to give birth in early-mid July.
The Weedy Seadragon is the marine emblem of the Australian State of Victoria.