Ruby Red Dragonet

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a difficult fish that needs an established 200 litre or larger reef tank, at least six months mature, kept at 23 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4. It feeds almost entirely on live copepods and amphipods, so a refugium or regular pod additions are important, and many specimens never accept frozen food. It is completely reef safe and harmless to corals and clams. Keep one male per tank, as males fight.

In the wild

The ruby red dragonet is a small, bottom hugging fish that hops across rock and rubble hunting tiny animals. Males are deep red with tall fins, while females are more muted. It picks copepods and other micro crustaceans one at a time all day long. It needs a mature tank with live rock and sand that grows a steady supply of pods.

Good to know

Synchiropus sycorax is a dragonet in the family Callionymidae, described only in 2016. Its species name refers to Sycorax, a witch mentioned in Shakespeare's play The Tempest. Like other dragonets it lacks scales and instead has thick, slightly slimy skin.

Did you know

It is one of the smallest dragonets in the hobby, and its need for live pods makes a thriving sand bed and refugium essential to keeping it alive.

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