Following weeks of unprecedented rains, a slew of unusual and vivid species washed up on Australian shores.
Experts are appalled after photographs of dead fish surfaced on New South Wales beachfronts.
The weedy seadragons have been spotted in Cronulla, Malabar and the Central Coast ( Image: Betty Ratcliffe / Facebook)
The seadragons have been spotted in Cronulla, Malabar, and the Central Coast, and it is estimated that there are ten times the average number of wash-ups on the beaches, according to the Daily Star.
Dr David Booth, professor of marine ecology at the University of Technology Sydney told the Sydney Morning Herald: “Clearly it’s a result of some combination of the shocking weather, pollutants being washed into the ocean and big surf.”
Experts says it’s a result of shocking weather and pollutants ( Image: Betty Ratcliffe / Facebook)
They can often be found in Australian waters and it is unusual for them to stray so far away from home ( Image: Betty Ratcliffe / Facebook)
They are frequently seen in Australian seas, and it is unusual for them to travel so far away from home, with adults moving only 50-500 metres from where they were born.
“This can make them susceptible to loss of habitat and changing environmental factors,” added lead investigator Dr Selma Klanten.
Adults are usually estimated to only move a mere 50-500 metres away from where they were given life ( Image: Betty Ratcliffe / Facebook)
Divers love the creatures, also known as common seadragons, because of their unusual colors, which include yellow and purple.
Their growth can reach 45cm in length, and they are frequently found among the reefs, near to the seahorse, according to News AU.
They can grow up to 45cm and usually live among the reefs ( Image: Betty Ratcliffe / Facebook)
The species were once listed as ‘threatened species’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species before they were ranked down in 2019 to ‘least concern.’
Anyone who attempts to collect or harvest them without a permit is found to be committing an offence.