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ATLANTA — A weedy sea dragon at the Georgia Aquarium has something to celebrate this Father's Day. One of the rare creatures is pregnant for only the third time ever at a U.S. aquarium, aquarium officials said. But don't look for the expectant mom — dads carry the eggs in this family.
The aquarium's sea dragon has about 70 fertilized eggs — which look like small red grapes — attached to his tail. He is expected to give birth in early to mid-July, said Kerry Gladish, a biologist at the aquarium.
Sea dragons, sea horses and pipe fish are the only species where the male carries the eggs, Gladish said. Sea dragon pregnancies are rare because researchers don't know what gets them in the mood to mate.
"We know there's something biologically or environmentally that triggers them to want to reproduce, but in the aquarium world, we're not sure what that is," Gladish said.
The aquarium recently changed the lighting and thinned out the plants in the sea dragons' tank to give them room to court each other.
The aquarium has seven of the 18-inch sea dragons, which resemble Dr. Seuss characters with long aardvark-like snouts, colorful sea horse bodies and multiple paddle-like fins.
During mating, the female lays dozens of eggs and then transfers them to the male's tail.
In the wild, the survival rate for sea dragon babies is low, but in captivity it's about 60 percent, Gladish said. The fish is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's list of threatened species, mostly because of pollution and population growth in its native Australia.
Only about 50 aquariums worldwide have sea dragons.
___
On the Net:
Georgia Aquarium: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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- Groups: Oceanvine, Successful Solutions, Sweeter Fennel
- Regions: United States , Australia , Atlanta
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1.5
{"commentId":1948082,"authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}
How soon before the announcement comes: 'It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl! It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl! It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl!'It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl! It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl! It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl! It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl! It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl! It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl! It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl! It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a girl!'???
{"commentId":1948082,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}
- 10 votes
#1 - Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:19 PM EDT{"commentId":1948422,"authorDomain":"ljshelhamer"}
GO BABIES GO!!
{"commentId":1948422,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"ljshelhamer"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":1948463,"authorDomain":"keggerlord-1"}
All I'm gonna say is: IT'S NOT MINE! I DIDN'T DO IT!
... crap. All I need is to end up on an episode of "Sea Dragon Springer"
{"commentId":1948463,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"keggerlord-1"}
- 6 votes
{"commentId":1948553,"authorDomain":"nano649"}
Heh, glad I'm not in that.
Pssst. So Jay... you going on the show too?
{"commentId":1948553,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"nano649"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":1948840,"authorDomain":"keggerlord-1"}
Yeah, but for a different episode: "My Sea Dragon is Out of Control!"
"You can't tell me where to spawn!"
{"commentId":1948840,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"keggerlord-1"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":1948249,"authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}
Awesome! Congratulations, Dad!
{"commentId":1948249,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"stolte-sawa"}
- 3 votes
#2 - Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:37 PM EDT{"commentId":1949318,"authorDomain":"tang"}
Sea dragon pregnancies are rare because researchers don't know what gets them in the mood to mate.
The aquarium recently changed the lighting and thinned out the plants in the sea dragons' tank to give them room to court each other.
Sounds like some mood lighting and enough room to mate were key components.
{"commentId":1949318,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"tang"}
- 6 votes
#3 - Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:37 PM EDT{"commentId":1949379,"authorDomain":"keggerlord-1"}
Cheap wine probably helped.
(what? It always worked for me....)
{"commentId":1949379,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"keggerlord-1"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":1949437,"authorDomain":"tang"}
I would have guessed it was cheap beer that always worked for you ;)
{"commentId":1949437,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"tang"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":1984793,"authorDomain":"ljshelhamer"}
I'm always my best in a bucket with no vegetation at all.
{"commentId":1984793,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"ljshelhamer"}
{"commentId":1949912,"authorDomain":"tamh"}
These live near where I live in Tasmania and I don't think are endangered here. You can snorkel their habitat at certain times of the year in one Marine Reserve in particular where they are reasonably common.
{"commentId":1949912,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"tamh"}
- 1 vote
#4 - Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:41 PM EDT{"commentId":1950288,"authorDomain":"tang"}
These live near where I live in Tasmania and I don't think are endangered here. You cansnorkel their habitatplough through hundreds of them with your prop at certain times of the year in one Marine Reserve in particular where they are reasonably common.
Bad Tamh!
{"commentId":1950288,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"tang"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1964439,"authorDomain":"tamh"}
Caught me!
You know how I just love traumatising small, cute, endangered living creatures!! :P
{"commentId":1964439,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"tamh"}
{"commentId":1967906,"authorDomain":"tang"}
{"commentId":1969583,"authorDomain":"tamh"}
Ha! I guess he may be endangered if he's living with me :P
{"commentId":1969583,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"tamh"}
{"commentId":1950168,"authorDomain":"geejay"}
which resemble Dr. Seuss character
Heh...how exciting. Now if only human males could do that!
{"commentId":1950168,"threadId":"287125","contentId":"1567144","authorDomain":"geejay"}
#5 - Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:07 PM EDT{"commentId":10405667,"authorDomain":"breelaboy"}
{"commentId":10433543,"authorDomain":"brianalampton"}
{"canLink":false,"threadId":"287125","isPrivate":false}
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