Rare seadragon caught on video

The Ruby Seadragon (Phyllopteryx dewysea) is so rare that it was only confirmed as a new species in 2015, and has only ever been studied through dead specimens that were caught or washed ashore. 

Scientists from the Western Australia Museum and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography had analyzed tissue samples from peculiarly bright-red seadragon specimens that were collected in different locations off Australia between 1919 and 2007. 

The creatures were found to be members of a genetically distinct species, the first new seadragon to be discovered in 150 years. 

The seahorse-like Red Seadragon can grow to a length of 15cm, and is characterized by its bright red color and its lack of the elaborate appendages common to other species.

"All this time we thought that there were only two species," co-discoverer Dr. Nerida Wilson was quoted as saying.

By looking at where the handful of specimens were collected, Scripps researcher Greg Rouse and his colleagues were able to hazard a guess at the extent of its habitat.

"We had very good details on where the fish in 2007 had been found, but very little other information to go on," Rouse told New Scientist.

So in 2016, Rouse's team took a chance and sent unmanned vehicles to scour the area. They finally managed to video live Ruby Seadragons on their fourth dive.

Their video, which was published on the Scripps Oceanography YouTube channel on January 12, 2017, shows two specimens feeding and swimming about—an interesting glimpse into how the creatures live in the wild.

"We knew it was like finding a needle in a haystack to go and look for this thing," Rouse said. — GMA News