🐠 Blue Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus)
🐠Blue Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus)
Bottom Dweller • Microfauna Hunter • Peaceful Reef Fish • Display Species
📋 The Blue Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus) is perhaps the most dazzlingly colorful marine fish in the world. Its intricate blue, orange, and green patterns make it a living piece of art in any aquarium. Peaceful and curious, this species glides gracefully across the substrate in search of tiny live foods.
Native to shallow reefs of the Western Pacific, the Mandarin thrives in mature aquariums with abundant live rock and copepods. Captive-bred individuals are now widely available and adapt well to frozen foods, making them a more sustainable and easier-to-care-for choice.
A calm, reef-safe, and endlessly captivating species, the Blue Mandarin Dragonet remains a must-have for aquarists who value beauty and grace in motion.
💡 Highlights
✨ Psychedelic coloration: vivid blue, orange, and green body patterns
⚪ Peaceful behavior: ideal for calm reef tanks
📏 Compact size: reaches up to 7 cm (2.8")
✅ Reef compatible: completely safe with corals and invertebrates
🐠 Captive bred available: hardy and sustainable for modern aquariums
🧾 A Quick Look at the Blue Mandarin Dragonet
📛 Common Name: Blue Mandarin Dragonet
🔬 Scientific Name: Synchiropus splendidus
👨👩👧 Family: Callionymidae
🌍 Origin: Western Pacific (Philippines • Indonesia • Australia)
📏 Max Size: 7 cm (≈ 2.8")
💧 pH Range: 8.0 – 8.4
🌡️ Temperature Range: 24 – 27 °C (75 – 81 °F)
🧠 Care Level: Intermediate to advanced
💖 Temperament: Peaceful • Non-aggressive
🪸 Reef Safe: ✅ Yes – completely reef safe
🏠 Min Tank Size: 110 L (30 US gallons)
📌 Tank Level: Bottom
🧬 Captive Bred: ❌ No
🌿 Wild Caught: ✅ Yes – sustainably collected from coral reefs
⏳ Lifespan: 5–7 years
🍽️ Diet: Carnivore (copepods • amphipods • small worms)
🐣 Reproduction: Pair spawner; performs nightly “dance” spawning rituals
