Seadragons & Seahorses immerses aquarium guests into the underwater lives of seahorses and seadragons, while giving a peek into the work Birch Aquarium’s renowned Husbandry Team is doing to ensure that these species survive into the future.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is one of the most expansive seadragon habitats in the world. The 18-foot-wide, 9-foot-tall exhibit holds 5,375 gallons of water — that's equivalent to 70 bathtubs! More than being a stunning display, the habitat is designed to create the ideal environment to breed seadragons.
Weedy Seadragons
These seahorse cousins use their bright coloration and seaweed-like appendages to hide among the kelp-covered rocky reefs of temperate southern Australian waters.
Seahorses and Pipefish
Captivating seahorses and pipefish, from temperate and tropical waters, will also be featured. Don't miss the seahorse babies born right here at Birch Aquarium.
Unique Species
See unusual fish like the Ornate Boxfish in spectacular displays. From tropical coral reefs to the chilly waters off of Southern Australia, diversity of habitats and species is at the forefront in this exhibit.
Baby Seadragons Born at Birch Aquarium
We're celebrating the arrival of more than 70 tiny newborn Weedy Seadragons at the aquarium! These little ones started hatching on Feb. 26 through March 2, 2023 and are only about 1-inch-long!
In February 2020, Birch Aquarium bred and successfully hatched two rare Weedy Seadragons behind-the-scenes for the first time ever. We're one of only a handful of aquariums in the world to breed these mysterious animals.
Learn more about these exciting milestones on our Seadragon Breeding Program page.
March 2, 2023. A male Weedy Seadragon is surrounded by baby seadragons.
Feb. 2020. One of the two rare Weedy Seadragons that hatched behind-the-scenes for the first time ever in February of 2020..
Why Seadragons and Seahorses?
The husbandry of seadragons is increasingly vital due to the impacts of climate change, warming oceans, and illegal collection of wild populations, whose numbers are still widely unknown.
Birch Aquarium has been successfully rearing seahorses in captivity for nearly 25 years, making us a leader in the field. We hope this new exhibit will result in our first successful seadragon breeding.
Press Kit
Please reach out to Beth Chee, Director of Marketing, at bchee@ucsd.edu or 858-534-8555 to set up expert interviews.
Images/Video Press Release
Giving Opportunities
Contact Rachel Wyman at rwyman@ucsd.edu to learn more about how you can help these amazing creatures and support our new exhibition.
Thank You To Our Generous Donors
This exhibition is made possible through generous donations from the community. If you are interested in learning more or supporting Seadragons & Seahorses, please contact Rachel Wyman at rwyman@ucsd.edu.