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Fish profile · Callionymidae
Mandarinfish
Synchiropus splendidus
A small Pacific dragonet with swirling blue, orange and green markings. It forages on tiny bottom-dwelling prey and can be difficult to maintain unless an established aquarium provides a dependable live-food supply.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026 · 5 sources
- Max length
- 6 cm
- IUCN
- LC
- Least Concern
- Family
- Callionymidae
- order Perciformes
Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.
How big?
Linear scale · hand 18 cm
Up to 6 cm.
How to identify
- Blue background with winding orange markings and a greenish-blue face.
- Large pelvic fins support movement along the bottom.
- Males have an elongated first dorsal spine.
Habitat
Sheltered lagoons and inshore reefs, foraging close to the bottom.
- Diet
- Tiny crustaceans and other invertebrates, including copepods and amphipods; some aquarium fish accept only live prey.
- Native range
- Western Pacific, from the Ryukyu Islands south to Australia.
Aquarium care
- Minimum tank
- 114 L
- Temperature
- 22.2–25.6°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Temperament
- Peaceful
More photos
Sources
Last reviewed 13 October 2026