🐠 Spotted Mandarin Dragonet (Synchiropus picturatus)
Marine Reef-Safe Genuine Live-Food Specialist • Green Body With Blue, Orange & Black Spots • Genuinely Distinct Species From the Classic Mandarin • Advanced Marine Fish
 
⚠️ Important Information — Please Read First
We want to be genuinely upfront on this one. This species has the same specialised dietary needs as the classic Green/Blue Mandarin Dragonet: in the wild it feeds almost exclusively on tiny live copepods and amphipods, and genuinely requires an aquarium established for at least 6-8 months with a healthy, thriving pod population before it's introduced. Spotted Mandarins can genuinely be stubborn about accepting frozen or prepared foods, and some individuals may never make the switch — without an adequate ongoing live food supply, they can slowly starve even while appearing outwardly healthy. Please speak with our team about your tank's maturity and pod population before purchasing.
 
📋 The Spotted Mandarin Dragonet , also known as the Psychedelic or Target Mandarin, has a genuinely striking dark green body scattered with vivid blue, orange, and black spots — a real visual departure from the classic Mandarin's wavy maze-like lines. It's genuinely a distinct species, not a colour variant of the classic Mandarin (Synchiropus splendidus), and can be distinguished by males' more elongated first dorsal spine.
Native to sheltered lagoons, coral reefs, and rubble areas across the Western Pacific, from the Philippines to Australia, this species spends most of its time slowly hopping along the substrate in search of microfauna. Like other dragonets, it secretes a thick, foul-tasting mucus coating that gives it genuine natural resistance to common marine diseases like ich, though it remains susceptible to marine velvet.
 
🟢🔵 Highlights
🎨 Green Body With Multicolour Spots: A genuinely distinctive, "psychedelic" pattern
🔬 Genuinely Distinct Species: Not a colour morph of the classic Mandarin Dragonet
⚠️ Genuine Live-Food Specialist: Requires an established tank with a thriving pod population
🛡️ Natural Disease Resistance: Mucus coating provides genuine resistance to ich
🌿 Fully Reef Safe: Won't harm corals or invertebrates