Common Seadragon

ocean creatures · camouflage · seahorse relatives

Dressed as seaweed. Common seadragons have fancy leaf-like appendages all over their bodies that make them look exactly like floating kelp or seaweed. This perfect disguise helps them hide from predators in the ocean.

Super-speed snout. Instead of regular teeth, seadragons have a long, tubelike snout with a fused jaw that clamps shut in a flash to catch tiny prey like small shrimp and other invertebrates.

Striped red bodies. Adult seadragons are mostly reddish colored with yellow and purple stripes running along their sides, making them look even more like decorated seaweed.

Boys look different. Male seadragons have narrower, darker bodies than females, so you can tell the difference between the two if you look closely.

Medium-sized fish. Common seadragons grow to about 45 centimeters long, which is roughly the length of a ruler, making them small but mighty ocean creatures.