The Nursery in The Seas with Nemo & Friends has some new tenants: seadragons, who have arrived to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the EPCOT pavilion.

Seadragons in EPCOT

Recent guests to the Nursery in SeaBase Aquarium have been greeted with curtains in one section. The sign read:

Pardon Our Plankton

This exhibit is temporarily closed to prepare for new aquatic species.

The new tenants have now officially moved in: leafy seadragons (Phycodurus eques), a unique fish native to Australia’s southern and western coasts, and are related to pipefishes and seahorses.

The species earned its moniker from its interesting appearance, which consists of leaf-shaped protrusions all over a long body shape reminiscent of a wyrm dragon. The titular protrusions are not fins or appendages, but are just for camouflage.

The Seas’ 40th Anniversary

The Seas pavilion in EPCOT, currently known as The Seas with Nemo & Friends, celebrated its 40th anniversary this month on January 15. Originally called The Living Seas, it had a movie about the oceans called The Sea, followed by an “elevator ride” to the ocean floor called the Hydrolator and the Caribbean Coral Reef Ride. The Caribbean Coral Reef Ride closed in late 2001 and was updated and reimagined into The Seas with Nemo & Friends.

Last year, the aquarium switched from a long-term care residence to a short-term rehabilitation center. The diver lock-out chamber demonstration also returned after five years.

Do you visit The Seas pavilion when you go to EPCOT? Let us know on social media.

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