Leafy seadragon

Leafy seadragon Strategy: masquerade as drifting seaweed. This relative of the seahorse, up to 35 cm long, is covered in large leaf-like appendages that look like fins but do nothing for swimming. They exist purely for disguise, and the fish adds to the act by rocking with the swell like a loose kelp frond. It is found only in the cool waters of southern Australia, from around Victor Harbor in South Australia west to Yanchep Beach in Western Australia, in sheltered bays, seagrass beds and kelp-covered reefs at 4 to 50 meters. It is South Australia's marine emblem, and a slow, patient dive is the way to find one: even a diver looking straight at one can miss it.