WATCH: Mandarin Dragonets Spawning In The Wild

The Mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus) is one of my favorite fish, and I know I’m not alone. Mandarins are a fan favorite when it comes to saltwater aquariums for their vibrant psychedelic patterns and friendly personalities. So when the team…

Captive Bred Mandarin Goby from Biota Aquariums

The mandarin goby is one of the most popular marine aquarium fish, unfortunately it is not the easiest fish to keep, and definitely not recommended for beginners. One way to make the iconic dragonet more accessible is to offer them…

It looks as though Synchiropus circularis and S. splendidus are intentionally hybridising in the wild

The mandarins and scooters in the genus Synchiropus are among some of the most endearing and staple favourites in the aquarium hobby. Mandarins are especially colourful, and their crawling like behaviour coupled with their unorthodox appearance makes for some of…

Green Mandarinfish: Gorgeous, Good-Natured, and a Very Finicky Feeder

Many coral reef fishes are renowned for their spectacular coloration and patterning, but there’s one particular species, commonly available in the marine aquarium hobby, that arguably surpasses them all in this regard. I’m talking about the green mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus).…

Captive bred mandarin gobies now available from Indonesia

If you needed any further evidence that captive breeding of marine fish is in a Golden Age right now, here’s another tidbit to further the cause. Although most wild mandarins come from Indonesia, now we may soon see captive bred Synchiropus…

ORA releasing Captive Bred Psychedelic Mandarins, including pairs!

ORA is at it again.  The rumors were true!  About a month after the release of ORA’s first captive bred Spotted Mandarins (Synchiropus picturatus) comes the announcement that the Blue Psychedelic Mandarin Dragonettes (Synchiropus splendidus) are being released (press release…

Captive bred mandarin gobies soon commercially available from ORA

Captive bred ORA mandarin gobies, the blue mandarin Synchiropus splendidus and the target ORA mandarin S. picturatus are some of the most exciting new captive raised creatures to be announced by Oceans, Reefs and Aquariums (ORA) since their all white…

OMG! Fish voyeur heaven: Mandarinfish caught in the act

Mating rituals in the marine world are always intriguing and can be elusive to catch on camera especially when it comes to the reef denizens. This great video chronicles the Striped Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) spawning on a reef in a…