where to buy leafy sea dragons

[lastcaptain]

Hi guys.

I am looking for leafies.. anyone knows where i can legally buy them?

I need about 40cm(15-inch) leafies..

they are endanger and protected by AUS gov.

not for collection or eating... For a public aquarium.

please send me a private msg. thank you.

[melsteve]

Hi there was one legal source from chap here in Australia who could collect 1 gravid male per year.

When he sold animals they were smaller 10cm or so you will not find a legal source for animals of the size you are looking for unless they maybe come from another public facility if any one offers you animals of that size from Australia and there name is not Pang then they would I almost guarantee illegal.

I would suggest you try and network with other public facilities you may get very lucky and find one wanting to move animals on.

Regards Steve

[JLynn]

The guy melsteve is talking about is indeed the only one who can legally collect Leafy Sea Dragons. Australia is doing a heck of a job protecting them!

He collects 1 gravid male per year and returns it to the ocean once the fry have been born. Then he raises the fry - has to go to the ocean every single day to collect 'pods to feed them. Once the fry have grown up, they are sold to public aquariums for $10,000 a piece (from what I have heard, there is a waiting list for them). He does not sell to hobbyists at all; as far as I know, the only non-aquarium that has been able to purchase some from him is Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm, and even then, it was only after an aquarium's purchase fell through at the last minute. They had spent several years trying to persuade him to let them buy a pair by then, and if it weren't for that deal falling through, I doubt they would have ever obtained any.

My point is that, like Steve said, your best bet is public aquariums. Even so, it would take a miracle for you to get your hands on one.

Sorry to disappoint you, but if you want sea dragons, the only ones a hobbyist can realistically hope to get are Weedy Sea Dragons (though they are just about as difficult to obtain).

tl;dr - You really have no chance of getting them straight from the source, so public aquariums are your best bet, but even then your chances are almost nil, and it would cost you an arm and a leg.

[snorvich]

Good advice above. Australia is very careful about protecting both Leafy and Weedy sea dragons.

[kylemm]

Originally Posted by snorvich

Good advice above. Australia is very careful about protecting both Leafy and Weedy sea dragons.

As they should be. They are beautiful, and i honestly wouldn't trust people to not over harvest them.

[reefwiser]

The leafy is also a cold water seahorse is that right?

[ajespo85]

Even if I was in the hobby for 20 years, I wouldn't trust myself with keeping something so fragile and delicate.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by reefwiser

The leafy is also a cold water seahorse is that right?

Cold is a relative term. When I took the image in my Avatar, I nearly froze my a$$ off. However, water temperature was 60F, and for some that is a walk in the park.

[timinnl]

Originally Posted by lastcaptain

Hi guys.

I am looking for leafies.. anyone knows where i can legally buy them?

I need about 40cm(15-inch) leafies..

they are endanger and protected by AUS gov.

not for collection or eating... For a public aquarium.

please send me a private msg. thank you.

If it's for a public aquarium, they trade among themselves and have studbooks. If l remember correctly, they wouldn't deal with the general public. Barcelona aquarium has a really nice display of them.

Kind Regards,

Tim

[AquaticEngineer]

I don't think Leafies can be had currently but Weedy Sea Dragons are available to the public, I just brought 4 in on Wednesday of this week

[Joke]

But its dam commonn to see them wash up on our shores

[pledosophy]

Originally Posted by AquaticEngineer

I don't think Leafies can be had currently but Weedy Sea Dragons are available to the public, I just brought 4 in on Wednesday of this week

Glad you chimed in, I was gonna give him your contact info.

If AquaticEngineer can't get them, they can't be had.

[Spslvr]

There is also a collector in west aus who collects weedy sea dragons leagally they are $5000 each i know of 6 sold in the last year

[Oiva]

Originally Posted by JLynn

The guy melsteve is talking about is indeed the only one who can legally collect Leafy Sea Dragons. Australia is doing a heck of a job protecting them!

He collects 1 gravid male per year and returns it to the ocean once the fry have been born. Then he raises the fry - has to go to the ocean every single day to collect 'pods to feed them. Once the fry have grown up, they are sold to public aquariums for $10,000 a piece (from what I have heard, there is a waiting list for them). He does not sell to hobbyists at all; as far as I know, the only non-aquarium that has been able to purchase some from him is Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm, and even then, it was only after an aquarium's purchase fell through at the last minute. They had spent several years trying to persuade him to let them buy a pair by then, and if it weren't for that deal falling through, I doubt they would have ever obtained any.

My point is that, like Steve said, your best bet is public aquariums. Even so, it would take a miracle for you to get your hands on one.

Sorry to disappoint you, but if you want sea dragons, the only ones a hobbyist can realistically hope to get are Weedy Sea Dragons (though they are just about as difficult to obtain).

tl;dr - You really have no chance of getting them straight from the source, so public aquariums are your best bet, but even then your chances are almost nil, and it would cost you an arm and a leg.

This is awesome. I always wondered if any one did something like this. And now i know.

[AquaticEngineer]

Originally Posted by Spslvr

There is also a collector in west aus who collects weedy sea dragons leagally they are $5000 each i know of 6 sold in the last year

Any other info on who he might be? Is it Pang?

Originally Posted by melsteve

Hi there was one legal source from chap here in Australia who could collect 1 gravid male per year.

When he sold animals they were smaller 10cm or so you will not find a legal source for animals of the size you are looking for unless they maybe come from another public facility if any one offers you animals of that size from Australia and there name is not Pang then they would I almost guarantee illegal.

I would suggest you try and network with other public facilities you may get very lucky and find one wanting to move animals on.

Regards Steve

This is probably the best advice so far in regards to where they could be coming from, Melsteve would know given he works with the Weedy Sea Dragons down there. Only hard part is that most AZA zoo's and aquariums in the US wont let an animal out of there possession unless its to another AZA accredited institution.