Green Mandarin Dragonet - Synchiropus picturatus - Medium

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The Green Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus picturatus) is also known as the "Psychedelicfish", "Picturesque Dragonet", "Spotted Mandarin" or the "Target Mandarin". It has a greenish-tan body with dark green spots edged with orange and lighter green. It is best to keep only one per tank. Multiples may exhaust the food supplies quickly and males of the same species will often fight. Another dragonet, S. splendidus, is also sometimes called the "Green Mandarin" but has a very different appearance.

Dragonets are bottom-dwelling fish with colorations that often resemble the substrate they are found around. They have flattened bodies with pointed faces designed for picking food like small crustaceans, copepods, amphipods and similar prey out of rockwork. They often have difficulty adapting to prepared food in the aquarium and should only be kept int well established tanks with lots of live rock and a healthy, populated sandbed to feed on. Dragonets are generally peaceful, docile fish. They move in short "scooting" motions and can be terrorized by more aggressive or territorial tankmates. They are ideal for reef aquariums as they will not bother corals or larger inverts.

Visit That Fish Blog for more information from our marine biologists on Dragonet feeding and care and many other aquarium-related topics!