Incredible footage of a sea dragon carrying 250 eggs on its tail was filmed in Australia

A diver in Australia captured incredible footage of a weedy sea dragon. In the video, you can see how a caring father carries 250 eggs on his tail.

Interestingly, female sea dragons lay their eggs in the male's skin. And the future father can hatch up to 300 babies at a time, writes IflScience.

Diver Jules Casey regularly documents the incredible creatures she finds during her travels along the coast of Australia. This time, while diving on the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne, the researcher spotted two weedy sea dragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) with eggs on their tails.

According to scientists, weedy sea dragons, which grow up to 45 centimeters, are found only in Australia. Their breeding cycle is similar to seahorses. Female dragons lay their eggs in the skin of the male to be fertilized, and the skin forms a cup around each egg, providing them with oxygen as they grow, zoologists say.

Unlike male seahorses, which carry their eggs in a pouch on the front of their bodies, daddy sea dragons have a pouch on their tails that helps keep all the eggs in place. Interestingly, males carry their young in their eggs for 6-8 weeks before they hatch.

According to marine experts, newly laid dragon eggs are bright pink, and before hatching they become darker. It is interesting that the egg capsule is not thrown away after the babies appear, because they feed on it for two days after hatching. Scientists emphasize that sea dragons live for 5-7 years, and in captivity –- up to 10.

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