After A Decade Of Trying, New England Aquarium Hatches Seadragons

BOSTON, MA — When the staff at New England Aquarium set an intention to hatch seadragons over a decade ago, they knew it wouldn't be an easy undertaking—in fact, only a few institutions worldwide have had any success. But last year, the aquarium celebrated a first when they welcomed the very first baby seadragons hatched onsite, staff announced Wednesday.

“Newly hatched seadragons are delicate and demanding,” Allison Waltz-Hill, a senior aquarist who was part of the team that cared for the adult seadragon and his offspring, said. “For the first several weeks, my days revolved around their care.”

And the difficulty begins before the babies are even born: a sea dragon's mating ritual is an elaborate process in which they "mirror one another, moving together as they gracefully spin upwards through the water" as the female transfers her eggs to a patch on the underside of the male’s tail, where he will fertilize and carry the eggs until they hatch, the aquarium explained. Often, the whole process is sent into a tailspin when the "dance" is interrupted, causing eggs to drop or otherwise end up unfertilized.

To give their sea dragons as much of a chance as possible to successfully reproduce, Galleries Manager Jeremy Brodt and his team studied seadragon behavior and worked to create the ideal conditions for a successful egg transfer, including a tall, vertical tank to provide enough space to complete their mating dance. And the efforts paid off!

“After over a decade of trying and hoping, we were shocked but elated to see a male with a brood of eggs on his tail,” Brodt said.

A month and a half later, the hatchlings emerged and were gently removed and placed into a tank stocked with "highly-nutritious food," the staff explained.

Now almost a year old, the baby sea dragons are about six inches long. While they currently are only viewable on video at the aquarium as they continue to grow up behind the scenes, visitors to the museum are able to see the adult seadragons in their newly refurbished exhibit.

"After much learning, experimenting, and hard work to get here, the team is excited to be able to share this story," the staff wrote.

Both leafy and weedy seadragons are endemic to the cool waters along Australia’s southern coast—meaning that’s the only place they’re found in the wild—the aquarium explained, adding that raising them in aquariums can help protect seadragon populations and make it possible to continue showcasing them to the public.

“This rare opportunity has provided us with an invaluable learning experience and the ability to contribute our experiences to further the collective knowledge and well-being of this species,” Waltz-Hill added.