| Weedy sea dragons, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, are an endemic and protected species in southern Australia; however, a detailed description of their life history has not been described. In this thesis, the developmental stages, somatic and reproductive growth, and the reproductive behavior of weedy sea dragons are described using a captive population. Weedy sea dragon development is described based on dominant morphological characters and categorized into 4 periods: incubation, larval, juvenile, and subadult. Despite their larger size, the life history of weedy sea dragons is similar to that of other syngnathids. In addition to improving our understanding of the life history of weedy sea dragons, this information can be used to estimate demographic parameters and assist in better classifying this species' threatened status. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
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