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Common names: Mandarinfish, Green Dragonet, Stripped Mandarinfish, Psychedelic Mandarinfish, and Mandarin Goby (though goby is a different suborder of fish)

Scientific name: Synchiropus Splendidus

Description: The dragonet is a bright and vibrant with wideset eyes like an amphibian, like amphibians they are also coated in a thick slime instead of scales which protect them from parasitic marine diseases and predators. They are considered a delicacy to humans though. They are fairly solitary fish and prefer to live in reefs and lagoons. Living in the western Pacific Ocean from Hong Kong to Australia. While harder to identify male and female in juveniles, in adults the males are larger and have an elongated spine at the front of their first dorsal fin. During mating season during the afternoon, females gather in small groups while the males try to charm them and once a female choose a male, they conjoin and rise above the coral reef to release a cloud of eggs and sperm in the ocean, relying on the current not moving them to get fertilized. They are also called mandarin because of bureaucrats of Imperial China who wore brightly colored robes. Commonly confused with mandarin fish and Chinese perch.

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1) To set up a healthy, pretty, and clean tank

2) For my group to find fish that are all compatible

3) For no one's fish to die

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1) They get along with:

Dwarf Angel

Box Fish

Damsels

2) Fish type: Semi -Aggressive, they do tend to be peaceful but can't be put with other males as they get aggressive over territory.

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1) The Mandarin fish lives in salt water specifically the west Pacific Ocean

2) Three facts:

They are shy and move slow, so they require hiding places (need plenty of live rock and live sand)

They live in water 72F to 82F and live in shallow waters 3-60 ft

Though do spend a lot of time near the ground they are not true bottom feeders; they are foragers.

3) Mandarin fish usually have territories and cannot be kept with other males; they also love hiding spaces in their tank.

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I want to put in hiding decor as mandarin fish appreciate hiding places

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1) fine grain aragonite sand for the tank substrate.

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1) gives the fish a day-night schedule that mimics their natural environment and helps their circadian rhythm. For plants it helps with photosynthesis.

2) The fish need moderate lighting and 9-14 hours of light a day

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to prevent fish jumping out, evaporation, and debris falling in the tank

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hang over back filter

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an adult mandarin fish typically needs 29-gallon tank and for juvenile you need 27-gallons

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like most fish mandarin fish get their oxygen through their gills

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I chose rocks and more hiding areas for my fish tank because it was what was recommended for mandarin fish to keep them happy as they appreciate places to hide. They need a large enough tank to create a territory for themselves, but to also adventure outside where they choose. They only grow up to three inches but like to roam and forage the sand floor for food, so a 30+ gallon tank is best especially for when they get older. And they need a tank light to create a day-night cycle and helps their circadian rhythm.

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Works Cited

Anon. “Mandarin Dragonet.” California Academy of Sciences, 2019, www.calacademy.org/explore-science/mandarin-dragonet.

---. “Mandarin Goby.” Petco.com, 2025, www.petco.com/content/content-hub/home/articlePages/caresheets/mandarin-goby.html.

Anon. “Mandarin Goby Male vs Female.” Reef2Reef, 20 Feb. 2022, www.reef2reef.com/threads/mandarin-goby-male-vs-female.893888/. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

---. “Saltwater Fish Compatibility Chart.” Www.liveaquaria.com, www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=540.

Ice, Anon. “Fish Profiles – the Amazing Looking Mandarinfish - Hygger.” Hygger - the Think Tank for Your Tank, 13 June 2023, www.hygger-online.com/fish-profiles-the-amazing-looking-mandarinfish/?srsltid=AfmBOoqbukccR9IG2wfUUVs_pQQ7RoCg8IY-5hWJhytEFjx7D-cHTcrH. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.