‘Sexy mood’ assisted male sea dragon pregnancy
June 16, 2008
After setting the mood with lighting and finessing, the Georgia Aquarium’s attempts to coax rare sea dragons to mate have finally worked — just in time for Father’s Day.
The pregnant male weedy sea dragon is now only the third of its kind in the United States to successfully become pregnant outside of its natural habitat.
The sea dragon, found in nature only in the waters off southern Australia, became pregnant Tuesday when a female transferred her eggs onto his tail.
Dennis Christen, assistant manager of animal care and husbandry, said that male sea horses, sea dragons and pipe fish all carry the eggs instead of the female.
Christen said that recently the staff took steps to try to assist in mating.
They altered the mood by adjusting the lighting and thinning the plants, Christen said.
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