We had a couple of split votes for the fourteenth dragon design voted for by the Dragon Keepers over on Patreon - first between a ‘leafy’ or ‘aquatic’ type, and then between saltwater species or habitat for the general theme.
In the end we went with an ‘aquatic’ type - these dragons usually feature a more serpentine body shape with shorter limbs (if any) and fins in place of wings. For the general theme I chose the species option since the last DDC entry was habitat focussed.
The vote was a bit more decisive for the specific theme, with the majority of votes going to the moray eel option - specifically the species known as a ‘dragon’ moray eel!
How it came out:
I think the aquatic dragons are always the least ‘dragony’ of my designs… at least in terms of a traditional appearance. It’s the lack of wings I suppose… but I don’t think that’s a bad thing! In the same way that I like to make leafy dragons blend in with their surroundings, my aquatic dragons - this one in particular - might be missed by the casual glance!
Appearance
Basing a dragon on an extant species always gives me all sorts of details to work with, from head shape to skin textures and patterns, and the dragon moray eel was certainly no exception.
Body shape - this was pretty straightforward, since moray eels already look like chonky sea serpents. I gave the dragon slightly longer proportions though.
Limbs - I always consider fins in place of ‘arms’ and claws for sea dragons, but given the cave & crevice dwelling nature of the eels I decided this dragon should have short limbs with strong claws for navigating the ins and outs of rocky reef structures.
Fins - again, this dragon is very similar to the eel, with a long dorsal fin extending into an upper & lower caudal fin. I did decide to break up the dorsal fin into segments - a ‘mane’ section for the neck, several short fins along the back, and then the main length forming the tail. I also kept the size and shape of the fin in keeping with the eel to fit with that reef-dwelling idea, rather than making them more flamboyant as I might with a more open water species.
Head - Moray eels tend to have a very distinct jaw shape which I tried to carry over, and the dragon moray already has some horn-like protrusions on its face which I made a little longer for this dragon. I also added a few more nubs along the eye ridge and the jaw, but chose not to add any more significant horns.
Colouring - dragon moray eels are stunning… and have so. many. spots. >.<
I painted this dragon with a pattern and colours as close as I could match to what I saw browsing a google image search - even the flush of more vibrant orange on the face! Gotta love some glorious real sea life colours :)
Behavioural Observations
From the DDC info card:
“The casual observer could be forgiven for mistaking younger specimens of this dragon for the eel they take after, as they often imitate the eel's behaviour of tucking themselves into rock formations. These dragons look very similar to their namesake, with the notable exception of their limbs, lack of gills, and (in adults at least) their size as they can grow to several times the length of the largest dragon moray eel.”
Further Observations:
As is often the case with aquatic dragons it has been hard to collect accurate observations for these reef dwelling serpents. They are found in much the same areas as their namesake, although with greater frequency in larger reefs, presumably due to prey and territory availability. They appear to be nocturnal hunters - no doubt finding easy prey amongst the sleepy fishes of the reef.
However, not many people have been brave enough to enter the waters at night to observe these dragons… after all, a grown moray eel can be risky enough to disturb in the dark, let alone a dragon thrice the size!
There are some progress shots and thoughts on the painting process below for paid subscribers…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Dragon Discovery Club to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.