Dan Peterson at the zoo

He rides herd on the sea dragons and sea horses

By Chris Welsch, Star Tribune

Last update: January 12, 2008 - 4:28 PM

Dan Peterson takes care of many of the fish and reptiles, including two of the most curious -- sea horses (a baby, above) and sea dragons (an adult, inset).

"They have all the same anatomy of a fish, but their body structure is just a little different. Instead of a big tail to propel themselves forward they have a prehensile tail, almost like a monkey. They grab onto some sea grass or some coral, and rest throughout the day. It saves a lot of energy. ... "

"Sea dragons, to tell the truth, make you a little neurotic. These ones live in the kelp forest off the southern coast of Australia. They are very particular about their environment, and they are very expensive -- one animal can be thousands of dollars. So they make me nervous sometimes.

"I like some of the bigger stuff, like the sea turtles and sharks, but some of these smaller animals -- they're a little different looking, they're a little more of a challenge to take care of, and it's fun working with animals like that."

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