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Question: Mandarin Fish (Mandarin Dragonet) Care Guide: The Most Mesmerizing Fish In The Ocean

Answer: The mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus), sometimes known as the mandarin fish, is a popular saltwater fish for home aquariums. They are part of the Callionymidae family.

In the wild they’re native to the Pacific, stretching from the Ryukyu Islands to Australia. However, now they can be bought worldwide. Prices range from $20-40 depending on the size and colors of the fish. This is quite a popular species, so it shouldn’t be hard to find stock near you.

It’s popular because it’s one of the most colorful fish you can get. They brighten up any tank, but don’t be tempted to keep them in groups as they will fight with each other.

They are perfect for a reef-type tank, and work well in a community aquarium of similar sized fish.

- Mandarin Fish Appearance
Its appearance is the reason most people keep them in their tank.

Their body resembles that of a goby but there aren’t many other similarities between the two. An adult rarely exceeds 3 inches.

They have large pelvic fins which allow them to “walk” across the substrate. This often gets mistaken for pectoral fins. The actual pectoral fins are more central to the body and almost transparent. Their eyes appear large and are raised slightly from the body. Each eye is red with big black pupils. They have no scales but can secrete toxic mucus to deter predators.

There are a few different varieties of this species, each with a slightly different pattern.

The striped variety has wavy orange and blue horizontal stripes. Their fins have a similar design, but the oranges can morph into yellows. Their head can be blue or green with bold blue stripes.

Green and red mandarin dragonets look similar to the striped ones, but the oranges are replaced by red and green shades.

You can get spotted mandarin dragonets too which have a completely different design. The stripes are replaced by dark blue spots, bordered by yellow rings. The body is a pale yellow-green.

Sexing these fish isn’t too difficult. Males have longer, pointed dorsal fins. Females can be a little smaller too. These differences make it easier when trying to work out how to mate them.

- Caring For A Mandarin Fish
Once established in the tank, your mandarin dragonets won’t need any special care. As long as you know how to clean the tank effectively, they should be healthy.

Perform water changes every week to prevent pollutants from building up. They can deal with small fluctuations in water parameters, but will still succumb to poor water conditions eventually.

This is a hardy species that is particularly resistant to parasites, but they can get diseases just like any fish can.

There are a few signs to look out for to check their health. These include discoloration, darting, flashing, rapid ventilation and a loss of appetite. A poor diet will make them more susceptible to disease so make sure you’re feeding them well. This is particularly difficult with dragonets as they can be picky eaters.

If you suspect that your fish are ill, check the water parameters and start doing more regular water changes. Alter their diet too if you don’t think they’re getting adequate nutrition.

Though they can live up to 15 years in the wild, a healthy individual rarely lives past five years in captivity.

(Source: Fishkeeping World, 24 Mar 2021)

Source Link: https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/mandarin-fish/