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What the sources say

Leafy SeadragonPhycodurus eques

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Leafy Seadragon profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 42 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

Profile updated

Source
01

Aquarium of the Pacific

Leafy Seadragon. Aquarium of the Pacific.

The page sayslives in the coastal waters off Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria
The source saysCoastal waters off the states of Western Australia, South Australia, and Victoria in southern Australia.
The page sayskeeping to rocky reefs, seaweed beds and seagrass meadows from the surface down to about 30 meters (98 feet)
The source saysThey live among rocky reefs, sand patches close to the reefs, seaweed beds, and seagrass meadows. ... Leafy seadragons can be found from the surface to depths of 98 feet (30 meters).
The page saysthe water swings seasonally between 13 and 19°C
The source sayswater temperatures are seasonally between 13 to 19 o C (55 to 67 o F)
The page saysIt grows to a maximum of about 35 cm (14 in) long
The source saysThe maximum length of the leafy seadragon is about 35 cm (14 in).Note: ADW gives 50 cm (citing Groves 1998, Dragon Search 2000, Zahl 1978); the Aquarium page, last updated December 2020, is the current institution page and wins
The page saysHard bony plates cover its body, bristling with sharp spines and leaf-like flaps
The source saysThe scaleless body of seadragons is covered ... in hard bony plates. ... Elaborate leaf-like appendages protrude from the head, body, and tail. ... They have long sharp spines on each bony plate
The page saysthe seadragon actually gets around on small, almost translucent fins that oscillate rapidly, using its tail as a rudder
The source saysThey swim through the water by rapidly oscillating their small, almost translucent fins and using their tails as rudders.
The page saysit can sway like a plant in the current
The source saysability to sway like plants in the water current help protect them from predators
The page saysThe seadragon is usually solitary
The source saysUsually solitary, these fish move to deeper water during the Australian winter when food is scarce.
The page saysIt moves to deeper water in the Australian winter, when food is scarce, and in late winter migrates to shallow bays, where groups gather to pair up and mate
The source saysthese fish move to deeper water during the Australian winter when food is scarce. In late winter they migrate to selected shallow bays, forming congregations to pair and eventually mate.
The page saysEggs set in his skin
The source saysShe pushes them into the skin of the male to be fertilized
The page saysA female pushes 250 to 300 eggs, each 4 mm across, into the skin under a male's tail to be fertilized
The source saysThe female lays 250 to 300 eggs that are 4 mm (0.16 in) in diameter and 7 mm (0.3 in) long. She pushes them into the skin of the male to be fertilized, covering most of the under surface and sides of his tailNote: ADW gives 200 to 300 eggs from 1998-2000 sources; the Aquarium page (updated December 2020) is the current institution page and wins
The page saysSoft when the eggs first go in, his skin hardens into a cup around each one, holding it securely through a six- to eight-week incubation
The source saysHis skin, soft at the time the eggs are first embedded, becomes hardened to form a cup around each egg to hold it securely for the six- to eight-week incubation.
The page saysWhen hatching starts, the male lets go of only a few eggs at a time, and he may take hours to days to release the whole brood
The source saysWhen hatching starts, the male releases only a few eggs at a time. He may take from hours to days to let go of the entire brood.
The page saysNewborns have a very short snout, no leafy flaps and silver-and-black coloring
The source saysFry unroll from their tight position in the egg capsule, coming out tail first. They have a very short snout, lack leafy appendages, and are colored silver and black.
The page saysThey settle on the bottom in shallow water and live off the still-attached egg capsule for about two days, until the snout is more pronounced and they're ready to start hunting
The source saysThey settle out on the substrate in shallow water where they live off the still-attached egg capsule for about two days until their snout is more pronounced and they are ready to start hunting.
The page saysA leafy seadragon has no teeth and no stomach, so it eats almost constantly, covering wide areas as it searches for mysid shrimp, a favorite food, plus other small crustaceans, plankton and larval fish
The source saysSea dragons do not have teeth or a stomach; therefore they eat almost constantly while covering wide areas searching for prey. They feed on mysid shrimp, a favorite food, and other small crustaceans, plankton, and larval fishes.Note: 'so' stands in for the source's own 'therefore'; the causal link is the source's, not added
The page saysIt creates suction by expanding a joint on the lower part of its snout, pulling prey into its small mouth and swallowing it whole, much like a pipette
The source saysThey swallow their prey whole, creating suction to suck the food item into their small mouth by expanding a joint on the lower part of their snout. This feeding technique is similar to how a pipette works.
The page saysHow long a leafy seadragon lives in the wild is unknown, though estimates say it may live seven to ten years
The source saysLeafy seadragons' longevity in their natural environment is unknown, but it is estimated that they may live seven to ten years.
The page saystransparent oscillating fins
The source saysThey have transparent dorsal and pectoral fins that are small and have a very fine appearance
The page sayssmall, almost translucent fins do the swimming and it sways like a plant in the current
The source saysThey swim through the water by rapidly oscillating their small, almost translucent fins ... ability to sway like plants in the water current
The page saysMysid shrimp, other small crustaceans, plankton, and larval fish
The source saysThey feed on mysid shrimp, a favorite food, and other small crustaceans, plankton, and larval fishes.
The page saysRocky reefs, seaweed beds and seagrass meadows in the temperate coastal waters of southern Australia
The source saysThese seadragons inhabit temperate coastal waters of southern Australia ... They live among rocky reefs, sand patches close to the reefs, seaweed beds, and seagrass meadows.
The page saysLike their seahorse relatives, male leafy seadragons brood the eggs, incubating them on the underside of the tail. The female presses 250 to 300 eggs into his skin to be fertilized, and his skin hardens around each one to form a cup that holds it through a six- to eight-week incubation. When the eggs are ready to hatch, the male doesn't release them all at once; he lets go of only a few at a time and may take hours to days to release the whole brood.
The source saysLike their seahorse relatives, male seadragons brood the eggs, which are incubated on a brood pouch on the underside of the tail. The female lays 250 to 300 eggs ... She pushes them into the skin of the male to be fertilized ... becomes hardened to form a cup around each egg ... for the six- to eight-week incubation. When hatching starts, the male releases only a few eggs at a time. He may take from hours to days to let go of the entire brood.
The page saysA leafy seadragon has no teeth and no stomach, so it eats almost constantly, covering wide areas as it searches for mysid shrimp, other small crustaceans, plankton and larval fish. It creates suction by expanding a joint on the lower part of its snout, pulling prey into its small mouth and swallowing it whole, a technique similar to how a pipette works.
The source saysSea dragons do not have teeth or a stomach; therefore they eat almost constantly while covering wide areas searching for prey. They feed on mysid shrimp ... They swallow their prey whole, creating suction to suck the food item into their small mouth by expanding a joint on the lower part of their snout. This feeding technique is similar to how a pipette works.Note: 'so' stands in for the source's own 'therefore'
The page saysa sway like plants in the current
The source saysability to sway like plants in the water current
The page saysswims by rapidly oscillating small, almost translucent fins
The source saysThey swim through the water by rapidly oscillating their small, almost translucent finsNote: vibe.reason, settled in #224: the fast, fine flutter that maps onto fingerpicked guitar; replaces 'serene ocean foliage perfection', which named no mechanism
The page sayswhile it sways like a plant in the current
The source saysability to sway like plants in the water currentNote: vibe.reason, settled in #224: the slow drift under the flutter, the floating texture

Source
02

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Phycodurus eques (Glauert's sea-dragon). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysPredators that see through the act are often surprised by its bony exterior and sharp spines
The source saysThose predators not fooled by its blending capabilities are often surprised by its bony exterior and long, sharp spines
The page saysBroad, flat flaps resembling seaweed branch out from the plates around its body
The source saysBroad, flat appendages resembling seaweed branch from the plates surrounding the body
The page saysan adult's color ranges from green to yellow-brown to light brown, varying with age, location, diet and environmental stressors
The source saysThe frond-like appendages and thin body vary on adults from green to yellow-brown to light brown ... Color variation occurs and depends on age, location, diet, and environmental stressors
The page saysIt also moves very slowly through the water and mimics seaweed, which makes it a master of camouflage
The source saysP. eques moves very slowly through the water and mimics seaweed, which makes it a master at camouflage.
The page saysPredators that see through the disguise anyway are often surprised by its bony exterior and long, sharp spines
The source saysThose predators not fooled by its blending capabilities are often surprised by its bony exterior and long, sharp spines
The page saysSeaweed-like flaps
The source saysBroad, flat appendages resembling seaweed branch from the plates surrounding the body

Source
03

Connolly, Melville & Preston 2002

Connolly, Melville & Preston (2002). Patterns of movement and habitat use by leafy seadragons tracked ultrasonically. Journal of Fish Biology.

The page saysA Home Range of Up to 5 Hectares
The source saysAll fish except one moved within well-defined home ranges of up to 5 ha (using minimum convex polygon method).
The page saysResearchers who tracked nine adult seadragons for 2 to 10 days around West Island, Australia found that all but one stayed inside home ranges of up to 5 hectares
The source saysNine adult leafy seadragons Phycodurus eques were tracked using ultrasonic telemetry for between 2-10 days around West Island, Australia. All fish except one moved within well-defined home ranges of up to 5 ha (using minimum convex polygon method).
The page saysThe odd one out headed away from where it was tagged in almost a straight line, at up to 146 meters an hour
The source saysThe exceptional fish moved almost in a straight line away from its tagging location near the end of the tracking period, at a maximum velocity of 146 m h-1.
The page saysLong spells of up to 68 hours without moving were broken by short bursts of movement averaging 2 to 17 meters an hour
The source saysShort bursts of movement (at average velocities of 2-17 m h-1) punctuated long periods (up to 68 h) without movement.

Source
04

Stiller, Wilson & Rouse 2015

Stiller, Wilson & Rouse (2015). A spectacular new species of seadragon (Syngnathidae). Royal Society Open Science.

The page saysThe skin flaps don't seem to help it move
The source saysthe dermal appendages do not seem to have a locomotory function and are often damaged in otherwise healthy seadragonsNote: 'help it move' for 'locomotory function'; the paper sampled wild common and leafy seadragons, so 'seadragons' here covers this species; 'dermal' is 'skin'
The page saysIn 2015, scientists described a third species of seadragon, the first discovered in 150 years
The source saysHere, we describe a remarkable example, a new species of seadragon. Phyllopteryx dewysea n. sp. is only the third known species of seadragon, and the first to be discovered in 150 yearsNote: 2015 is the paper's own publication year (accepted 2015 Jan 12), which is when the species was described
The page saysThe specimen it was named from had been catalogued at the Western Australian Museum as a common seadragon, and only DNA sequencing revealed it was new
The source saysThe specimen was accessioned at the Western Australian Museum (WAM P33223.002) as a common seadragon, and its uniqueness only subsequently recognized following DNA sequencing.
The page saysLeaf-like skin flaps that don't seem to help it move
The source saysthe dermal appendages do not seem to have a locomotory functionNote: 'help it move' for 'locomotory function'

Source
05

Pollom 2017

Pollom (2017). Phycodurus eques. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T17096A67622420.

The page saysThe IUCN lists the leafy seadragon as Least Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.