TAMPA, Fla. -- A veterinarian's invention has likely saved the lives of several delicate sea creatures at The Florida Aquarium.
- Leafy seadragons have been at Florida Aquarium since April
- Veterinarian designed buoyancy control device
- Guests can see leafy seadragons at Florida Aquarium
Three ailing leafy seadragons now wear buoyancy control devices designed by Dr. Ari Fustukjian.
The leafy seadragons are native to Australia but have been at the aquarium since April. As soon as they started to grow, veterinarians and staff noticed troubling signs.
"To get down to the bottom and hunt for that food is really critical to their health, and as they were starting to grow from just a few centimeters to a little larger, we noticed they were having trouble," Associate Curator Eric Hovland said.
All three leafy seadragons had problems with their swim bladders. The condition forces them to swim constantly to stay off the bottom of the habitat, and it could have caused the seadragons to tire themselves to death, Fustukjian said.
Fustukjian used a button and pieces of a wet suit to help them stay upright, likely saving their lives.
"The first time we put one of these devices on, that animal immediately went into normal posture. It looked relaxed and it started eating, and that is definitely very rewarding," Fustukjian said.
Fustukjian has now made about a dozen of the devices during the past few months to help the growing marine creatures.
Guests can see the leafy seadragons and their new accessories at The Florida Aquarium.