All fish / Callionymidae

Zamboanga Dragonet

Synchiropus zamboangana

Also known as zamboanga dragonet, zamboanga mandarin, spotted dragonet

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A small, flattened dragonet with mottled brown and cream camouflage, and males have a taller first dorsal fin. Reef keepers like it because it picks small crustaceans off rock and sand all day and is very peaceful.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a mated pair; only one male per tank

Diet

Carnivore: live copepods and amphipods, with some individuals learning to take frozen mysis and copepods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Philippines, Indonesia and nearby waters

Breeding

Pairs rise from the bottom together at dusk and release pelagic eggs. Rearing the tiny larvae is very hard and rarely done in home aquariums.

Good to know

Needs a mature tank full of live rock with a large copepod population, and usually starves if kept with competing pod eaters. Males fight each other.