26 seadragons hatched by father at Ohio zoo. See the ‘incredibly fragile’ creatures

Dozens of seadragons were hatched at an Ohio zoo, which called the news of the historic births “incredible.”

The 26 weedy seadragons — also called weedies — born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium were hatched from their father, a stark contrast from most other species.

“The dads carry the important task of helping to bring babies into the world by fertilizing the eggs and carrying them on their tails until they are ready to hatch,” the zoo said in an Aug. 13 news release.

The egg transfer from a female to the male’s tale, as well as the eventual hatching, was a “cause for celebration,” according to the zoo. It was the first hatching of seadragon eggs in the history of the facility.

The successful births were spread from June 24 to July 4.

Just 1-inch long, the hatchlings will be raised behind the scenes for the next year. Their care is important, as just 5% of seadragons in the wild survive their first year, the news release states.

“Seadragon babies are incredibly fragile, delicate animals, and I’m so excited they are thriving in their new home and in our expert team’s care,” Columbus Zoo and Aquarium President and CEO Tom Schmid said in a statement. “We hoped they would breed, but the fact that it successfully happened this quickly is amazing and a real testament to the team’s knowledge and dedication.”

With a “voracious appetite,” the weedies are eating a combined “9,000 baby mysis shrimp and 18,000 copepods per week,” according to the zoo.

Although some of the hatchlings have already died, the team caring for the babies is “optimistic” the remaining seadragons will “survive and thrive.”

Native to Australia, weedies are relatives of seahorses. They have “leaflike appendages” and can grow to be 18 inches long, the zoo said.