All fish / Callionymidae

Mandarin Dragonet

Synchiropus splendidus

Also known as mandarinfish, mandarin fish, green mandarin, blue mandarin, psychedelic mandarin, striped mandarin, mandarin goby, red mandarin, mandrin dragonet, ปลาแมนดาริน, ニシキテグリ, ikan mandarin

A small dragonet covered in swirling blue, orange and green markings, with a tall first dorsal fin that males raise in display. It is kept for its striking colours and calm, hopping way of picking tiny animals off live rock.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Singly or as one male and female pair; never two males

Diet

Carnivore: live copepods and amphipods from an established reef, with some individuals trained onto frozen copepods, enriched brine shrimp and mysis

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

Up to about 10 years with steady food

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Ryukyu Islands south to Australia, including the Philippines and Indonesia

Breeding

Pairs spawn at dusk, rising together to release floating eggs into open water. Captive-bred fish are now available, but rearing the very small larvae needs tiny live foods and is difficult at home.

Good to know

Wild fish often starve in new or small tanks because they depend on a large, mature copepod population; buy captive-bred, food-trained fish where possible. Avoid keeping with fast competitive feeders that take its food, and with other dragonet males.