Scientific
Name: Pterosynchiropus
splendidus
Family:
Callionymidae
Common Names: Mandarin Dragonet, Mandarin Goby, Green
Mandarinfish.
Stripped Mandarinfish, Psychedelic
fish
Description:
The Mandarin Dragonet can simply not be confused with any other
fish. It has arguably the most attractive coloration and pattern of
any commonly kept reef fish. The scale-less body of the fish is a
blue or green color which has orange wavy lines across it. The tail
is bright red with blue edging. Other colors can be found in the
pattern as well. These fish are also sometimes called Psychedelic
fish due to its rather bizarre coloration. The male Mandarin tends
to be larger than the female and has a large pointed dorsal fin that is
only rarely displayed. Although commonly called Mandarin Goby, they
are in fact not gobies, but rather belong to the family known as
dragonets.
Natural Environment:
Comes from the Philippine area and westward to Australia. Found in
groups or pairs, often on sandy bottoms between reef crests.
Care:
Reef Suitability: Mandarin fish are one of the most
commonly sold fish, yet they are unfortunately one of the most likely to
perish in the average reef tank. The reason for this is their very
finicky feeding habits. Many mandarins will only eat live amphipods
and copepods (pods) which are found in sufficient numbers only in larger
and well established reef tanks. The minimum tank requirement is
generally stated as 55 gallon with 50lbs or more of live rock. This
is based on feeding requirements and not space requirements as the
Mandarin is a very slow, docile fish. Perhaps more important than
tank size is how heavily fed and nutrient rich a tank is, since this type
of tank will generally support a higher pod population than tanks run
under more lean conditions.
Disposition: Very
non-aggressive to other fish and other fish seem to pay them no attention. 2 males will fight, so they should
only be kept singly or in male/female pairs. Mandarins spend their days
carefully checking over the live rock and sand looking for tasty tidbits
to eat.
Feeding: As noted above, feeding can be a major issue with
Mandarins. Some will take foods such as frozen brine shrimp and
bloodworms. Others will refuse to take anything but live
foods. Mandarins are extremely slow and hover, much like a
hummingbird using their front fins while looking for food. Even
Mandarins that take prepared foods have a hard time competing with faster
fish for the morsels. One suggestion I have heard that makes good
sense, especially in smaller tanks that don't support a large pod
population is to build something called a 'pod pile'. This is a few
small rocks stacked into a pile into which small pieces of shrimp or
similar food can be inserted every couple of days. This pile of
rocks provides shelter and a food supply for the pods which allows them to
rapidly breed and provide food for the Mandarin.
Hardiness: Very hardy under the right conditions
when starting with a healthy specimen which is feeding. They seem to be very resistant to
parasitic diseases such as Ick, apparently due to their thick slime
coating. Unfortunately, most Mandarins are kept under conditions in
pet stores that cause them to slowly starve. Look for sunken bellies
before purchasing. Some specimens seem to waste away to the point
where they cannot survive, even when put into good conditions. If
possible, select a specimen that is eating fozen food.
Temperature: Does well within normal reef tank temperature ranges of at
least 76-82°F.
Size: Mandarins can get up to about 3" in length.
Breeding: Mandarins have reportedly spawned in reef tanks. The
fry are very small and require a first food which is smaller than
rotifers. The picture above shows a male and female pair. The
male is in full display mode while courting the female.
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