What to Know
- A male weedy seadragon is currently carrying a clutch of eggs at Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla; eye spots are now detectable within the eggs
- The hatching date is growing near, so the father-to-be has been moved behind the scenes, allowing keepers a way to closely monitor the eggs' development
- "It's extremely rare for seadragons to breed in captivity," shared Jenn Nero Moffatt, Senior Director of Animal Care, Science and Conservation
BIRCH AQUARIUM AT SCRIPPS... burbles with beautiful wonders, and finding those wonders can be as easy as stepping into one of the destination's astounding exhibits. There's one devoted to the Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins, and the Giant Kelp Forest, of course, and the Oddities area, too. But if you want to get instantly ethereal, and feel as though you've stepped into a watery wonderland, you'll likely call upon the Seadragons & Seahorses exhibit first. For these incredible critters don't seem quite real (they are), their snouts are sensational (no one would argue otherwise), their dorsal fins adorable (ditto), and watching them curl their tails around a waving reed? Squealing with utter delight at the sight is surely in order.
THE DELIGHT... is also there when eggs, lots of eggs, are in the picture. And that's just what is happening at the aquarium as February 2023 reaches its last chapter, thanks to the male weedy seadragon and his clutch of eggs. The father-to-be has been carrying these eggs on his tail's underside, as male seadragons famously do, for a number of weeks now. Now, small "eye spots" are beginning to appear in the tiny orbs, revealing that the time of hatching is getting closer. The husbandry team, eager to monitor the seadragon as the big day draws near, has moved the seadragon from the exhibit, all to keep the "developing baby weedies" under a watchful eye. But even if you can't visit this cool critter and his growing brood in person, you can check out some recent photos shared by Birch Aquarium. Can you "sea" the weedies' eye spots? Excuse us while we squeal some more.
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WHEN WILL THEY HATCH? "Sea" the Birch Aquarium's social pages for more information in the coming weeks.
