UCSD - University of California - San Diego

07/22/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/22/2026 11:21

Second Time’s the Charm for Seadragon Eggs

Published Date

July 22, 2026

Article Content

Fresh off hatching his last brood, a male Weedy Seadragon at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is already carrying a second clutch of eggs - marking the first time the aquarium has documented the same male receiving a second clutch of eggs in a single breeding season.

"Seeing one of our male Weedy Seadragons successfully accept a second brood of eggs within just a few months is incredibly exciting, especially since this is the first time we've witnessed this behavior at the aquarium," said Leslee Matsushige, Aquarium Curator at Birch Aquarium. "This milestone highlights the success of our breeding program and is a promising sign that this experienced male may continue to contribute to future generations of Weedy Seadragons."

A female transferred approximately 25 bright pink eggs onto his tail, where they are attached primarily along the left underside. While it is still too early to determine whether the eggs are fertilized, the aquarium remains optimistic given this male's previous success carrying eggs through development and hatching. Over the coming weeks, the team will closely monitor him as he broods and protects the developing eggs.

Back-to-Back Broods

The same male Weedy Seadragon pictured in early May, when he was carrying the two eggs that hatched on June 30 and July 1. Photo provided by Birch Aquarium Seadragon Care Team.

Just a few weeks ago, the aquarium celebrated the successful hatching of two eggs carried by this same male Weedy Seadragon on June 30 and July 1. If this latest clutch hatches, it will add to Birch Aquarium's already long-standing legacy in breeding Weedy Seadragons.

The two juvenile Weedy Sea Dragons are growing quickly behind the scenes, but it will still be several months before they're ready to make their public debut. When they first hatched, they were about an inch long. Over time, they'll grow to about the length of a toothbrush.

One of the tiny juvenile Weedy Seadragons that hatched in late June/early July, now growing behind the scenes at Birch Aquarium. Photo by Jordann Tomasek.

A Seadragon Breeding Legacy

Birch Aquarium's successful Weedy Seadragon breeding program shows how a deeper understanding of animal wellbeing can drive conservation breakthroughs. In 2012, Matsushige traveled to Australia to study Weedy Seadragons in the wild, gaining insights into the environmental conditions and behaviors that support successful breeding. Those insights helped shape the habitat design for Birch Aquarium's Seadragons & Seahorses exhibition, which opened in 2019 and features one of the world's largest Weedy Seadragon habitats.

Seadragons perform an intricate courtship dance, swimming side by side with their snouts aligned and their tails entwined as they move vertically through the water. By designing a habitat that supports these natural behaviors, Birch Aquarium has achieved remarkable breeding milestones and contributed valuable knowledge to the conservation of this unique species, including;

  • February 2020: Birch Aquarium celebrated its first-ever successful Weedy Seadragon egg transfer and hatching, resulting in two hatchlings that have since grown into mature adults.
  • March 2023: More than 70 Weedy Seadragons hatched, demonstrating the continued success of the breeding program.
  • June 2024: Another exceptional season produced more than 70 additional Weedy Seadragon hatchlings.
  • August 2025: Two Weedy Seadragons successfully hatched.
  • June/July 2026: Two additional Weedy Seadragons successfully hatched on June 30 and July 1.
  • July 7, 2026: Approximately 25 eggs were transferred to the same male that successfully carried the two eggs that hatched in late June and early July of 2026.

To date, Birch Aquarium has welcomed more than 150 Weedy Seadragon hatchlings, and this latest success marks the fifth successful breeding season in the aquarium's history.

These successes have helped establish thriving new generations of Weedy Seadragons while supporting research and breeding programs at AZA-accredited institutions worldwide - including Aquarium du Québec, Dallas Aquarium, New England Aquarium, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Steinhart Aquarium and Waikiki Aquarium.

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