Southern pygmy leatherjacket is a very small marine fish up to six centimeters long. It lives off the southern coasts of Australia among algae and seagrass and changes its body color for camouflage.
This species differs from other leatherbacks by its very small size and bright ability to change body color for camouflage. It is an important part of the food chain in coastal ecosystems of southern Australia.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Offspring
Worker
Elders
Dorsal spine count
Bro
birth time
Taxons
if born as {name}
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
omnivore
g
age
summer mild, +15…+20 °C
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
birth date
no permanent shelter
Close
detritus, eat dead remains of plants, animals and all kinds of organic debris on the bottom
was
days
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
Marine world
The basics
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
climbing
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
My weight?
mollusks
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
adult
Maturity
organic debris
Dorsal spine color
primary food sources
Temperate sea
Potential Habitat
About health
marine coastal
algae
Pectoral fins count
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Repro interval
results
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
terrestrial
Eyes count
Body size
islands and part of Australia, many unusual animals and plants
Colors
Cool summer
Sex
{name} birthday
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
Food is gathered directly from leaf surfaces.
No results found
all seas and oceans
Trophic type
Filters
Eyes color
On the map
small crustaceans
all life stages
Female ♀
Body color
Upcoming birthdays
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
leaf
birth year
Maturity
Age (from birth to death)
sq mm
yr
Wanderers
How similar?
algae
world of Australasia
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
Moving up vertical surfaces like trunks or rocks to reach food.
Lifespan average
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
Marine world
early young
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
shallow coastal
end of lifespan
River estuary into the sea
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
live snails, mussels, oysters
Duration
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Pectoral fins color
saline marine habitat
This is me
water is cool or warm, cold in winter, comfortable to swim in summer
Gamers
where the river flows into the sea, slightly salty water, lots of fish and birds
aquatic plants and algae
Pets
How are they built?
marine
shallow near the shore, water rises and falls, crabs live here
Primary oral structure used to seize, manipulate, or ingest food.
Dorsal spine size
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
coastal marine zone — shelf, neritic zone
My age?
wk
My size?
Feeding occurs primarily on land or in vegetation.
{name} jubilee
Eyes size
Asexual
vegetated seabed
swap
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
mouth
turns
islands and part of Australia, many unusual animals and plants
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Rascals
Where do they take shelter?
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Littoral Zone
Litter size
Daddies
small crabs, amphipods and other crustaceans
Lifespan maximum
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
world of Australasia
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
foraging
°C
Not specified
Hermaphrodite ⚥
Actively searching habitats to locate food items.
Grape
Where are they found?
all seas and oceans
8 to 11 grams, 1.5 – 8 centimeters
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
embryo
Length
kg
Observations
◉{N} more on tap