Sea Dragon is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the whole body—or the whole body with the skin and internal organs removed—of various sea dragon species, including Solenognathus hardwickii (Gray) of the genus Solenognathus, Syngnathoides biaculeatus (Bloch) of the genus Syngnathoides, and Syngnathus acus Linnaeus of the genus Syngnathus.It has the effects of tonifying the kidneys and enhancing yang, as well as dispersing nodules and reducing swelling. It is primarily used to treat impotence, nocturnal emissions, infertility, shortness of breath due to kidney deficiency, masses and accumulations, scrofula and goiters, trauma, and abscesses, boils, and carbuncles.
Sea Dragon
Sea Dragon is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the whole body—or the whole body with the skin and internal organs removed—of various sea dragon species, including Solenognathus hardwickii (Gray) of the genus Solenognathus, Syngnathoides biaculeatus (Bloch) of the genus Syngnathoides, and Syngnathus acus Linnaeus of the genus Syngnathus.It has the effects of tonifying the kidneys and enhancing yang, as well as dispersing nodules and reducing swelling. It is primarily used to treat impotence, nocturnal emissions, infertility, shortness of breath due to kidney deficiency, masses and accumulations, scrofula and goiters, trauma, and abscesses, boils, and carbuncles.
Chinese Name : 海龙
Aliases : Water Goose, Sea Snake
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Taste: sweet and salty; nature: warm; enters the Liver and Kidney meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Tonifies the kidneys and enhances yang; disperses nodules and reduces swelling.
Indications
Erectile dysfunction, nocturnal emissions, infertility, shortness of breath due to kidney deficiency, masses and accumulations, scrofula and goiters, trauma, and abscesses, boils, and carbuncles.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decocted as a soup, 3–9 g; ground into powder, 1.5–3 g. External use: Apply the powder as a poultice.
Precautions
Contraindicated in cases of yin deficiency with excessive fire or external pathogenic factors.
Chemical Constituents
Spiked Sea Dragon contains cholestanol, 4-cholestene-3-one, N-phenyl-β-aniline, and primarily myristic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid.
Pharmacological Actions
1. Sex hormone-like effects: The uterine-stimulating effect of Jian Hailong is much weaker than that of posterior pituitary extract; its action is milder and more sustained, is less likely to cause strong contractions, and exerts a similar stimulating effect on the uterus at different stages of the estrous cycle.Its active components responsible for uterine stimulation are easily destroyed by heat. The alcohol-extracted oil solution, alcohol-extracted aqueous solution, and decoction of Jian Hailong all significantly increase the weight of the mouse uterus, with the alcohol-extracted oily substance being the most potent, followed by the decoction. 2. Effects on the Immune System: When 0.5 mL/mouse of a 20% Haolong gel was administered via gastric lavage to mice, it significantly increased thymus weight and markedly elevated white blood cell counts; however, it had no significant effect on hemoglobin levels in mice.The aqueous extract of Pseudo-Hailong promotes the proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes in healthy humans; the optimal dose-response range is concentrated between 10 and 20 μL per well. When the dose is increased to 40 μL per well, the stimulatory effect gradually weakens. 3. Other Effects: The aqueous extract of Pseudosea dragon exhibits varying degrees of inhibitory effects on human cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa), ECA-109, lung squamous cell carcinoma, and HCT-8 rectal carcinoma. Pseudosea dragon exerts a certain inhibitory effect on type B monoamine oxidase activity in mice and also reduces lipid peroxides; however, there were no significant differences compared to the control group.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Supplements to the Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Its efficacy is twice that of seahorse; it is particularly effective in inducing labor.”
2. *Modern Practical Chinese Materia Medica*: “It is a tonic with stimulating effects that can enhance sexual desire. It is used to treat mental and physical exhaustion in the elderly and the debilitated. It treats abdominal pain and is also used to treat weak labor contractions in women nearing childbirth, with labor-inducing effects.”
3. *Medicinal Animals of Guangxi*: “Eliminates masses and treats boils and swellings.”
4. *Qingdao Handbook of Chinese Herbal Medicine*: “Tonifies the kidneys and enhances yang; resolves stagnation and reduces swelling. It also relaxes tendons and activates meridians.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For scrofula (chronic lymphadenitis, lymph node tuberculosis) and goiter (simple thyroid enlargement): 9 g of sea dragon, 18 g of dried shiitake mushrooms (with stems), 9 g of laver, and 31 g of red dates. Decoct in water and take orally. (*Clinical Application of Chinese Herbal Medicine*: Sea Dragon Decoction)
2. For internal injuries caused by falls or blows: Dry the sea dragon, grind it into powder, and take 3g per dose. Take with warm wine. (*Manual of Qingdao Chinese Herbal Medicine*)
3. For weak uterine contractions in women leading to difficult labor: 9g of sea dragon. Boil in water, mix with half a cup of yellow wine, and drink while warm. (*Medicinal Animals of Shandong*)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Generally harvested from July to October. After harvesting, remove the outer membrane and internal organs, wash thoroughly, and sun-dry.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry, airtight container in a cool, dry place to prevent insect infestation.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
Characteristics of the Medicinal Material:
1. Diao Sea Dragon: The body is narrow, elongated, and laterally compressed, with a total length of 30–50 cm.The surface is yellowish-white or grayish-brown. The head features a long, tubular snout; the mouth is small and toothless; the eyes are round and deeply set; and the angle between the head and the body axis is slightly obtuse. The trunk is 3 cm wide and pentagonal; the anterior part of the tail is hexagonal, tapering gradually toward the posterior end, where it becomes quadrangular, with the tail tip curled.On either side of the dorsal ridge is a row of grayish-black, speckled bands. The entire body is covered with patterned bony rings and fine transverse striations; each bony ring contains raised, granular spines. The pectoral fins are short and broad; the dorsal fin is relatively long, though sometimes inconspicuous; there is no caudal fin. The body is bony and hard. It has a faint fishy odor and a slightly salty taste.
2. Pseudosea Dragon: The body is long and flattened, with the trunk slightly quadrangular in shape; total length is 20–22 cm, and the surface is grayish-yellow. The head is often aligned in a straight line with the body axis. The tail is slender, pointed, and slightly curled; it is shorter than the combined length of the head and trunk, and lacks a caudal fin.
3. Spiked Sea Dragon: The body is slender and whip-like, with a total length of 10–30 cm; the membrane is not removed. The surface is yellowish-brown. The head is small and tapering to a point; the snout is slender and tubular. The trunk is heptagonal, while the tail is quadrangular, tapering toward the rear; the tip is not curled, and it possesses a caudal fin. A brood pouch may be visible on the ventral surface in some specimens.The tissue is relatively fragile and prone to tearing.
Characteristics of the Prepared Slices:
1. Wine-processed Sea Dragon: Resembles a sea dragon; the surface is dark yellowish-brown, brittle, and has a slight aroma of wine.
2. Processed Sea Dragon: Resembles segments of a sea dragon; the surface is pale yellow, and the texture is brittle.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
1. Diao Hailong: The body is elongated and laterally compressed, generally 37–50 cm in length; the body height is much greater than the body width. The trunk is pentagonal; the anterior part of the tail is hexagonal, tapering gradually toward the rear to form a quadrilateral shape, with the tip curled.The head is long, lying on the same horizontal plane as the body axis or forming a large obtuse angle with it; the snout is particularly elongated and laterally compressed, approximately twice the length of the head measured from behind the eyes. The eyes are large and round, with prominent eye sockets. There are two very small nostrils on each side. The mouth is small and anteriorly positioned; when closed, the mouth slit is nearly vertical.Both jaws are short and small. The gill covers are prominent and bear distinct radial striations; the gill openings are small and located near the dorsal margin of the head. The area surrounding the eye sockets, the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the snout, and the posterior end of the snout are all covered with coarse, granular spines of varying sizes; the dorsal side of the neck is ridged and bears two cervical spines; the central ventral ridge is relatively prominent.The anal opening is located on the ventral surface, one-half the body length from the rear. The body is scaleless and enclosed within bony rings; there are 25–26 bony rings in the body region; 56–57 bony rings in the caudal region. The dorsal fin is relatively long, consisting of 41–42 rays; it originates at the first caudal ring and extends to the tenth or eleventh ring. There are four anal fins, which are extremely small.There are 23 pectoral fins, which are short and broad. There is no caudal fin. The body is pale yellow, with a row of dark brown spots along the upper lateral line where the bony rings meet; the fins are pale in color. Males have a brood pouch on the ventral side of the body, just in front of the tail.
2. Pseudosea Dragon: The body is elongated and flattened, generally 20–22 cm in length; the body width exceeds the body height. The trunk is nearly quadrangular; the anterior portion of the tail is spindle-shaped, tapering gradually toward the rear to form a quadrangular shape, with the tail tip fine, pointed, and slightly curled. The head is long and lies on the same horizontal plane as the body. The snout is long and laterally compressed, approximately twice the length of the head measured from behind the eyes.The eyes are large and round, with slightly protruding eye sockets. The ridge along the upper margin of the gill cover is prominent and terminates in front of the gill opening. In front of the base of each pectoral fin, there is a large, prominent knob. Apart from a small spine on the upper margin of the eye ridge on the head, the fish has no other spines.The body is scaleless. There are 16–17 vertebral rings and 51–53 caudal rings; the upper and lower lateral keels of the trunk and caudal region are completely connected. The dorsal fin consists of 40–41 rays; it is relatively long, extending from the last vertebral ring to the ninth to tenth caudal segments.The anal fin is very small, with 5–6 fin rays, located immediately behind the anus; the pectoral fins number 20–22 and are short and broad. There is no caudal fin. The body is bright greenish-yellow, with bright yellow spots of varying sizes on the flanks and ventral surface; the sides and underside of the snout feature irregular dark green reticulations. All fins are greenish-yellow.
3. Spiny Seahorse: The body is slender and whip-like, generally 11–20 cm in length, with the body height and width nearly equal. The trunk is heptagonal, with a slightly concave central ridge on the abdomen; the tail is quadrangular, tapering gradually toward the rear and not curled.The head is long and tapering to a point; the body length is 7.4–9.3 times the head length. The snout is slender and tubular; the head length is 1.7–1.9 times the snout length and 6.9–8.4 times the eye diameter. The eyes are large and round, with slightly protruding eye sockets.The linear ridge on the gill cover is short and small, extending over the basal third; the gill openings are very small. The upper lateral ridge of the trunk does not connect with the upper lateral ridge of the tail; the lower lateral ridge of the trunk is continuous with the lower lateral ridge of the tail; the medial lateral ridge of the trunk is close to the upper lateral ridge of the tail.The body is scaleless and entirely encircled by bony rings; there are 19 bony rings on the trunk and 36–41 on the tail. The dorsal fin, which is relatively long, consists of 35–45 rays, extending from the last trunk ring to the ninth caudal ring. There are four small anal fins.Pectoral fins: 12–13, fan-shaped. Caudal fin: 9–10, with a rounded posterior margin. The body is yellowish-green, the ventral side is pale yellow, and the body bears numerous irregular dark transverse bands. The caudal fin is blackish-brown; the other fins are pale.
Distribution Area
1. Diao’s seahorse: Found in the nearshore waters of the South China Sea in China. 2. Pseudoseahorse: Same as Diao’s seahorse. 3. Spiny seahorse: Found along the entire Chinese coastline.