Dragons Are Real And They Are Making Baby Dragons

Ok. Dragons have never really been considered “super heroes” but they have made books like The Hobbit worth reading, which I believe is commendable. Thus, I think they deserve a spot on this blog. If you have grievances, post away.

Yet, Bilbo probably wouldn’t have been so terrified of these dragons. In fact, these may be the nicest, most well-behaved dragons the world has ever layed eyes upon. They feed on tiny crustaceans and zoo plankton which they suck up their snouts.

Not really the type of dragon to hoard gold, kill humans and fight off hobbits.

And they may be a descendents of the Lochness due to their aquatic status.

There are two dragons I have in mind live off the coast of Australia. One is “weedy”:

Image by Fernando Estel. Retrieved from Wikipedia Commons.

And the other is clearly weighed down by extra baggage. It is of the “leafy” variety:

Image by Drold. Retrieved from Wikipedia Commons.

Ok, I lied they’re not related to the lochness monster but they are a type of pipefish, much like the seahorse.

You’ll be glad to know that these species are hard-core FEMINISTS.

Oh yes, these dragons, along with the sea-horse, and the pipefish are the only fishes where the male of the species carries the eggs until they are hatched.

They are true dream boats, those male sea dragons. Eye candy too I might add. While those female sea dragons are out romping around the coral sea reefs, the males are pulling a double work day, fighting off the glass coral reef shelf, and ensuring posterity.

That in itself is worth superhero status in the fish world.

I think it’s safe to say that both species procreate, but the BBC’s new series on natural history called Life has recently caught  the weedy sea dragon doing it on camera. The beautiful courtship dance is described as a “mirror dance,” in which the male and female mimic each other.

Watch it and let the voice of David Attenborough woo you. (You know he always does). And make sure you get to the end because even though the babies aren’t fuzzy they are definitely adorable.

~ by Alice Rossignol on October 30, 2009.