The Lembeh Sea Dragon is one marine critter that is both unusual and difficult to find. Again this is a tiny marine critter that requires you to search deep into the crevices and overhang to find it! Fortunately, they are not in deep water so you can find them in shallow reef and rocks and you can afford to spend more time to take photos of them.
The Lembeh Sea Dragon is also known by other names. They are called Lembeh Pygmy Dragon, Pygmy Pipe Dragon even “Swollen Thread Fish”. This a direct translation from its scientific name. The scientific name is Kyonemichthys rumengani. (Kyo – swollen , nema – thread and ichthyic – fish ) and Rumengan is the name of the dive guide who discovered it .
It was named after a dive guide that found it in 2006 in Lembeh Straits. Dive guide Nordy Rumengan was the first to discover this critter in 2006 in Lembeh Straits and he pointed it to the right photographer who helped to get this critter identified and described.
The Lembeh Sea Dragon has a slender body, length of 2.5 cm to 4.0 cm and thickness from 2mm to 3 mm. Often found in pairs or in larger number grouped together hanging onto seaweeds or sponges.
Since it was found it is now seen in other parts of Indonesia and also in various parts of the Philippines. A related sea dragon is also seen in the Red Sea. The Lembeh Sea Dragon is however not related to the larger and more showy Leafy Sea Dragon of Australia .
