Good News!

I thought we might all benefit from some good news, you know, for a change:

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Native to the waters of Australia, sea dragons are a stunning and unusual fish. But they face a number of challenges in the wild because of warming oceans, harmful fishing practice and more.

In 2019, Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography - part of U.C. San Diego - opened an exhibit intended to create an ideal habitat for breeding these colorful cousins of sea horses. And last week, the aquarium announced a breakthrough: the first successful transfer of eggs from a female sea dragon to a male.

As with sea horses, sea dragon males - not females - are responsible for carrying eggs. [That ain't right! D-] After a courtship dance, the female transfers the eggs to the male's tail, where he fertilizes them and then carries them for four to six weeks until they hatch.

"We're elated to be able to witness this at the aquarium," Jenn Nero Moffatt, senior director of animal care, science and conservation at U.C. San Diego, said in a statement. "It's extremely rare for sea dragons to breed in captivity, so this is a monumental milestone for all of our staff."