Species Evolution at its Finest

LION-FISH -

Type: Fish

Diet: Carnivore

Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 15 years

Size: 11.8 to 15 in (30 to 38 cm)

Weight: Up to 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)

Group name: School

Did you know? A lionfish will often spread its feathery pectoral fins and herd small fish into a confined space where it can more easily swallow them.

Size relative to a tea cup:

Source: National Geographic

Leafy Seadragon
Phycodurus eques

Despite their fearsome name, seadragons don’t have any teeth. Instead of biting, they suck their food down their long tubesnouts, just like seahorses and pipefish.

Size Up to 18 inches long

Diet Small invertebrates, including shrimps and other zooplankton, and larval fishes

Lifespan 5-10 years

Habitat Seadragons live among the boulders, kelp and seagrasses of Australia’s temperate reefs. Seadragons rely on their excellent camouflage to protect them from predators, such as larger fishes.

Family life Seadragons usually live a solitary life, but males and females pair up to breed. The female lays up to 300 eggs, which the male carries around on a brood patch near the base of his tail. After six to eight weeks, the baby seadragons hatch and swim away. They are completely independent from the moment they hatch and they grow fast. It only takes about two years for seadragons to reach full size and breeding age.

These shots were taken during my visit to the COEX Aquarium in Seoul, Korea. The bad quality was due to the thick glass of the aquarium that separated my lens from the subject. The title refers to the amazing outcome of Charles Darwin's Law of Natural Selection= EVOLUTION.