At first sight, it looks like a piece of algae floating in the water; however, upon closer inspection, this little creature with long, leaf-shaped skin is actually a peculiar marine animal called Leafy Seadragon.

Leafy Seadragon, along with other seadragons, pipefish and seahorses, belongs to the family of syngnathidae. Compared to other seadragons, it is relative large and can reach up to 30-centimeters long. Due to its leaf-like appendages, people assume it can swim pretty fast. Contrary to what people think, it is actually one of the slowest swimmers among all seadragons. It can only move about 0.2 kilometer per hour. Because of its poor swimming skills, it has to rely on its leaf-like appendages to camouflage themselves to avoid predators.

Leafy Seadragon mainly inhabits the warm coastal water of South Australia. Many people consider them to be Australia's second national treasure after koalas. It is hard to find them not only because of their camouflage skills, but also because of their small population.

Scientists claim they face the threat of extinction. Human activities including water pollution and catching are the main threats to those leafy seadragons. Without careful management, this creature could face true extinction.

(All photos via VCG)

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