Pregnant Weedy Seadragon Makes History At Birch Aquarium In La Jolla

LA JOLLA, CA — Described as "an extremely rare occurrence," the first successful transfer of eggs from a female seadragon to a male at the Seadragons & Seahorses display was announced Monday at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

“We’re elated to be able to witness this at the aquarium," said Jenn Nero Moffatt, senior director of Animal Care, Science and Conservation. "It’s extremely rare for seadragons to breed in captivity, so this is a monumental milestone for all of our staff.”

The soon-to-be mama and papa "weedy seadragons" are part of the center's Seadragons & Seahorses habitat, which opened in May 2019.

Like seahorses, seadragon males — not females — are responsible for carrying eggs, according to Birch experts.

But first comes an elaborate courtship “dance” — as the male and female mirror each other, often with their tails curled away from their mate, and spin together snout-to-snout moving up and down in the water column, staff said.

"This dance is essential for the successful transfer of eggs from the female onto the male’s tail, where he then fertilizes and hosts the eggs," the center said, adding that the male will carry the eggs on his tail for four to six weeks until they are ready to hatch.

Only a small percentage of eggs will develop, and the aquarium’s husbandry team is keeping tabs on the pregnant seadragon.

"He is doing well and can be seen up close in Seadragons & Seahorses, though he might move behind the scenes closer to the hatching date," the facility said.

The Seadragons & Seahorses exhibit, one of the largest seadragon habitats in the world, was designed to create an ideal environment to breed seadragons.

And while this is the first time a seadragon has laid eggs on the public side of the aquarium, Birch previously achieved two, behind-the-scenes births of weedy seadragon babies in 2020 — making the center one of only a handful of aquariums in the world to breed these mysterious animals, which are endemic to southern Australia.

“We have been working with seadragons since 1996," Nero Moffatt said. "Since then, we have learned so much about caring for these creatures and invested a lot in our breeding program. From the lighting to the rockwork; everything has been strategically designed with breeding seadragons in mind.”

Follow this link to learn more about the Birch Aquarium and its Seadragon Breeding Program. Reservations are recommended for visiting the center at 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla.

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