Phycodurus eques, Rapid Bay, Sth Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Numerous branched appendages arising from the edges of the body. The leaf-like outline of this species blends in so well with seaweed in its local environment that most divers, as well as predator and prey species, will pass within a metre of the animal without noticing it. This seadragon is common at a few locations in South Australia and is a fully protected species.
Information
Max Size: 35 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 13.3-29.8°C
Depth: 4-30m
Habitat: Rocky Reef, Seagrass
Rarity
IUCN Threat Status: Near Threatened
Occurrence: Infrequent (3% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution.
It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney
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