Father’s Day is like a second birthday for dads — maybe even better. Today is the day they get all the love and appreciation they deserve for their role in raising a new life, and no one does it better than the weedy sea dragon. Along with its cousins the seahorse and the pipefish, the male of this species is the one who brings the next generation into the world. Although the eggs are initially produced in the female, they are given to the male for the duration of their development. In the case of weedy sea dragons, the eggs are laid on the front of the male’s tail so that he can protect them around the clock until they are ready to hatch. Check out this great footage of the process from beginning to end.

Image via dennis and aimee jonez