For the Second Time Ever, Endangered Weedy Seadragons Give Birth at Birch Aquarium

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Birch Aquarium has welcomed dozens of bouncing babies who emerged from their paternal shelter over Father’s Day weekend.

The more than 70 baby weedy seadragons, which hatched from their father’s tail, are the result of a second successful egg transfer in Birch Aquarium’s exhibit. The male and female pair concluded their courtship and transferred the egg to the male’s tail on April 20.

The first successful egg transfer at Birch Aquarium took place in early 2023.

“We’re elated to be able to witness this at the aquarium,” said Jenn Nero Moffatt, senior director of animal care, science, and conservation, at that time.

“We have been working with seadragons since 1996. Since then, we have learned so much about caring for these creatures and invested a lot in our breeding program.”

The latest babies are currently slightly more than an inch long; they will be kept behind the scenes as they grow.

As with seahorses, seadragon males, not females, are responsible for carrying eggs.

After a courtship “dance,” during which a mated pair mirrors each others’ movements in the water and the colors of their bodies brighten, the female transfers the eggs to the male’s tail, where he fertilizes and carries them until they hatch.

Weedy seadragons, which are endemic to Australian coastal waters, are facing challenges brought by climate change and compromised habitats in the wild.

However, they are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity.