When it comes to giving birth, male and female sea dragons swap roles. Yes, the male becomes pregnant and delivers the babies! As spring approaches, the prospective father develops a blood-rich brood patch of about 120 small pits, or egg cups, along his tail. The female sea dragon then transfers her bright-pink eggs to this brood patch, embedding each egg into its own individual cup. Four to six weeks later, the three-quarters-of-an-inch-long [20-millimeter-long] baby sea dragons are born, each one a tiny replica of its parents.

[Pictures on page 25]

A pregnant male leafy sea dragon carrying eggs; inset shows close-up of the brood patch