- Size
- 6–8 cm
- Tank
- 110 L, mature
- Temp
- 24–27 °C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- School
- Pairs
- Lifespan
- 10–15 yrs
Identification
A small reef dragonet with swirling blue, orange, and green. The psychedelic mandarin (Synchiropus picturatus) is similar but spotted rather than striped. Sexes differ: males have a taller first dorsal spine.
Tank size
110 litres (30 US gallons) of mature reef, not a new cube. They need rockwork to graze, not open water. A refugium that dumps copepods into the display is the real requirement.
Temperament
Peaceful and slow. Males fight; keep one male. They ignore other fish and are ignored until a faster mouth takes the food first.
Diet
Copepods all day. Frozen mysis only after a captive-bred fish has already been trained onto it. A new tank has none of this food.
Breeding
Pair-spawning at dusk in a mature reef. Eggs float. Home breeding is rare; buy captive-bred when you can.
Compatibility
Safe with other peaceful reef fish that do not compete for pods. Avoid wrasses and dartfish that vacuum the rock.
Common diseases
Starvation is the usual killer and looks like health until the fish is too thin to recover. Brooklynella is a risk on wild imports.
Lifespan
10–15 years when fed. Weeks to months when added to a new tank.
Difficulty
Advanced because of feeding, not because the fish is fragile in stable water.