Ruby Sea Dragon

Researchers at scripps oceanography and the western australian museum capture on video the first ever field sighting of the newly discovered third species of seadragon.

Ruby sea dragon.

A specimen found on shore in 2007 was 23 5 cm 9 3 in long. While this was an exciting discovery a live ruby sea dragon had never been recorded neither by divers nor those in the fishing. The main distinguishing characteristic is its bright red coloration hence the name ruby three species there are just three known species of sea dragons the leafy sea dragon the weedy or common sea dragon and the ruby sea dragon. Ruby seadragon we wear red when we want to stand out but for the ruby seadragon it s a camouflaging tactic at depth says josefin stiller who helped film the dragon for the first time.

The ruby seadragon phyllopteryx dewysea is a marine fish in the family syngnathidae which also includes seahorses it inhabits the coast of western australia the species was first described in 2015 making it only the third known species of seadragon and the first to be discovered in 150 years. Those samples had been largely misclassified in that they were labeled as a common seadragon. However the discovery arose from dna. A ruby red sea dragon living off the southern coast of australia is the first new sea dragon researchers have discovered in 150 years.

The common seadragon was previously the only member of its genus until the description of the ruby seadragon in 2015. The ruby seadragon was declared a new species in early 2015 making it just the third known seadragon species as well as the first discovered in 150 years. As they observed two ruby. In the november 2006 issue of national geographic magazine marine biologist greg rouse is reported as investigating the dna variation of the two seadragon species across their ranges.