Attractively coloured species with a pink or orange body, yellow stripes, and a red patch around the anus. The species lacks the leaf-like appendages of the sea dragons but has a similar method of carrying eggs under the tail. It is restricted to deep water off the Australian mainland where it is generally noticed only when dead animals are washed ashore. Divers in the southeastern Tasmania sometimes see them living alongside sea whips.
Information
Max Size: 49 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 17.7-24.0°C
Depth: 3-400m
Habitat: Soft sediment
Rarity
IUCN Threat Status: Data Deficient
Occurrence: Widespread (100% 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: Few (2 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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