All fish / Callionymidae

Kiyo's Dragonet

Synchiropus kiyoae

Also known as kiyo dragonet, kiyo's mandarin, kiyoae dragonet, spotted dragonet, red dragonet, キヨウミテング, 清水氏连鳍䲗

A small, bottom-dwelling dragonet covered in red and orange blotches and white spots, with males showing a tall, flag-like first dorsal fin. It is kept by reef hobbyists who enjoy its slow hopping movements and courtship displays, and it is a rarer alternative to the familiar mandarin dragonets.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair; avoid two males

Diet

Carnivore: live copepods and amphipods from a mature refugium, plus frozen copepods, rotifers and small mysis once trained

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Taiwan and Indonesia

Breeding

Pairs spawn at dusk by rising together into the water column and releasing pelagic eggs. Eggs can be collected, but rearing the tiny larvae needs copepod nauplii or similar live foods and is rarely achieved by home aquarists.

Good to know

Needs a mature reef with a large live copepod population and should not be kept with fast, competitive feeders that will take all the food. Males fight each other, so keep only one male per tank.