Sea Dragon

The leafy sea dragon is related to the pipefish and belongs to the family Syngnathidae, along with the seahorse. It differs from the seahorse in appearance, form of locomotion, and its inability to coil or grasp things with its tail. A related species is the weedy sea dragon, which is multi-coloured and grows weed-like fins but is smaller than the leafy sea dragon. In the November 2006 issue of National Geographic, marine biologist Greg Rouse was reported as investigating the DNA variation of the two sea dragon species across their ranges.
The leafy sea dragon is the official marine emblem of the state of South Australia. A biennial Leafy Sea Dragon Festival is held by the District Council of Yankalilla, South Australia. It is a festival of the environment, arts and culture of the southern Fleurieu Peninsula, with the theme of celebrating the leafy sea dragon. The inaugural festival in 2005 attracted over 7,000 participants and visitors.