Spotted mandarin dragonet
Synchiropus picturatus
Also known as Psychedelic Mandarin, Green Spotted Mandarin, Picture Dragonet, Target Mandarin, Spotted Mandarin Fish
SaltwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 2.8 in
- 7 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Callionymidae
- Origin
- Western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean, from the Philippines and Indonesia to western Australia
Overview
The spotted mandarin dragonet is a peaceful, slow bottom forager for a mature reef tank. Its diet makes it a fish for experienced keepers only.
Did you know
The spotted mandarin dragonet's blue comes from a rare true blue pigment in its skin cells, rather than the structural color most fish use. That makes it one of very few animals that manufactures its own blue.
Caring for the spotted mandarin dragonet
Give a spotted mandarin dragonet a well established reef of at least 53 gal (200 L). It needs a large amount of live rock and live sand supporting a dense pod population. A refugium or regular pod dosing helps keep that food supply topped up.
Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It shares the green mandarin's demanding diet of live copepods and amphipods. Captive-bred or frozen-trained fish are much easier and strongly preferred over wild fish that eat only live pods.
The spotted mandarin dragonet is peaceful and fully reef safe with corals and inverts. Males fight, so keep only one male per tank. Males grow larger and carry a taller first dorsal fin. Breeding them is hard.
Good to know
The spotted mandarin dragonet, Synchiropus picturatus, is told apart from the green mandarin by its bold green, blue-ringed target spots, called ocelli. They sit on a darker background, rather than the green mandarin's maze-like stripes. Like its relative, it has no scales and produces a thick, foul-tasting mucus coat that deters parasites and predators.
In the wild
The spotted mandarin dragonet ranges from the Philippines and Indonesia to western Australia, across the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean. It lives on the same kind of sheltered inshore reefs and rubble zones as the green mandarin. It patrols the sand and rock all day, picking off amphipods and copepods, and rarely leaves the substrate for open water.
Common questions
What size tank does a spotted mandarin dragonet need?
A spotted mandarin dragonet needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a spotted mandarin dragonet need?
A spotted mandarin dragonet is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
What does a spotted mandarin dragonet eat?
A spotted mandarin dragonet eats live copepods and amphipods, the same demanding diet as the green mandarin. Captive-bred or frozen-trained fish are much easier to feed than wild fish that eat only live pods.
How big does a spotted mandarin dragonet get?
An adult spotted mandarin dragonet reaches about 2.8 in (7 cm).
How can you tell a male spotted mandarin dragonet from a female?
Males grow larger than females and carry a taller first dorsal fin.
Related species
3.1 in (8 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Green mandarin dragonet
Synchiropus splendidus
3.1 in (8 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)
2.4 in (6 cm)30 gal (115 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Ruby red dragonet
Synchiropus sycorax
2.4 in (6 cm) · 30 gal (115 L)
3.5 in (9 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)Scooter dragonet
Synchiropus ocellatus
3.5 in (9 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)
2.8 in (7 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Link's goby
Amblygobius linki
2.8 in (7 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)
2.8 in (7 cm)13 gal (50 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)Starry goby
Asterropteryx semipunctata
2.8 in (7 cm) · 13 gal (50 L)
3 in (7.5 cm)29 gal (110 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Flametail blenny
Enchelyurus flavipes
3 in (7.5 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)