The weedy seadragon usually lives for 6 years, but exhibits variable growth and survival rates and experiences increased longevity, exceeding 10 years, at higher latitudes.
Most weedy seadragons live for up to six years, but increased longevity has been documented at some latitudes.
The von Bertalanffy growth curve parameters for the weedy seadragon vary based on latitude, and are as follows: Sydney: L00=36.28 cm, L0=3.33 cm, and K=1.52; Hobart: L00=34.07 cm, L 0=3.2 cm, and K=0.91.
Also, depending on where they are found latitudinally, the species can exhibit variable growth and survival rates. Slower growth and high survival, as exhibited at higher latitudes, lead to increased longevity, and in the more southerly portion of its range this species is suspected to have a longer lifespan, likely exceeding 10 years.
• Image | © Klaus Stiefel, Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC 2.0)
• Sources | (Forsgren & Lowe, 2006; Martin-Smith, 2011; Pollom, 2017; Sanchez-Camara, Martin-Smith, Booth, Fritschi, & Turon, 2011; The Wikimedia Foundation, 2019)
