The Tale of Stumpy, Splitfin & the disappearing eggs…

The question is : “Where did our mate Stumpy's latest batch of eggs go so soon?”

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​Meet Mum aka Splitfin, isn't she just beautiful?
Note the noticeably broader abdomen
​hopefully carrying their next brood of baby dragons...

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Magic happened Stumpy & Splitfin produced a fourth brood for the season as opposed to two in the previous (also first) season.

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All hatched and ready for another batch.
​During the breeding season the pair check in with each other regularly to see if they are ready for another brood.

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Only a few eggs remain intact.
Soon they will swim free.
​For how long no one knows??
We once encountered a poor boy Weedy Seadragon who had clearly been attacked for his eggs. 
He had big gouges out of his abdomen and tail where someone had eaten his eggs before they even had the chance to hatch...

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Eggs gradually hatch over a few days.
Our chances of seeing them actually hatch is extremely low
due to their amazingly crafted hatching habitat.
Check out that camouflage.

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The eggs gradually get covered in algae & different types of seaweed as they develop.

Lots of very healthy looking clean eggs that will hopefully hatch around the reef
​& become healthy and strong little dragons.

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​ Stumpy is the proud bearer of a shiny new third batch of eggs for the season.