A team of scientists captured the first video footage of ruby seadragons feeding in Western Australia just a year after discovering the species. Greg Rouse and his team from Scripps Institute of Oceanography observed not one, but two of the ultra rare sea creatures in 2016 and published the footage over the past week.
Seadragons, a close cousin to the seahorse, are a rare sight. This is in part because there are so few species of this animal. For 150 years, marine biologists were only aware of two types of seadragon: the leafy and the weedy. Creative names, right? But in 2015 researchers at the Western Australian Museum discovered a third, brilliantly-red variant that proved to be a completely new species. How did this vibrant creature stay hidden from science for so long? First off, they only live in Australia. So geography is an issue. Second, the ruby seadragon lives at much greater depths than other seadragons. The more common species have been found no deeper than 108 feet, while the first ruby seadragon was discovered living its technicolor life at 236 feet. Third, its bright coloring actually serves as camouflage at these depths, where light is weak and the color red loses its luminosity.
The initial 2015 discovery challenged scientists to search for more of these elusive animals, hoping to observe them in nature. In April 2016, Greg Rouse and colleagues embarked on their ruby seadragon search in the waters of Western Australia. Their seven days of diving and reconnaissance via underwater vehicle paid off. Rouse and team encountered and filmed two ruby seadragons on the final day of their trip. They published their findings and footage just this past week.
With underwater filming technology developing at a faster pace than ever, scientists are confident that more “firsts” will be captured in the near future. These moments are not just exciting because we learn more about our oceans, but also because we get to see how amazing aquatic life is. Even in times when it seems like everything has been discovered, digitized, and documented, the ocean reminds us that it’s still full of secrets.
Editors Note: You can learn more about Greg Rouse’s trip and see some great photos here.
