Mandarin Fish Care Tips
The mandarin fish, Synchiropus superblus, belongs to the Callionymidae or dragonet family. They are endemic to the Pacific Ocean. Its native habitat ranges from the Ryukyu Islands to Australia. This bottom-dwelling species is commonly found in sheltered lagoons and fringing reefs.
This is one of the most beautiful goldfish in all of nature. Its color palette seems to come straight out of one of the polyester t-shirts popular in the 70’s. A psychedelic montage of oranges, yellows and greens merging into a neon blue body make this fish stand out in any aquarium. Its vivid coloration evokes the rich color patterns and embroidered embellishments on the robes of an Imperial Mandarin Chinese. This coloration makes it an ideal camouflage against the brightly colored species typical of a tropical marine reef formation. They are sold under a variety of trade names including striped mandarin fish, mandarin fish, striped dragon, green dragon, mandarin goby, green mandarin, and even the psychedelic mandarin fish. One would think that a species of such exotic magnificence would command a high price. Actually, these are very affordable fish.
Dragonets represent 10 genera and more than 182 species of the 267 genera and 2,100 species collectively referred to as gobies. Gobies are small fish. A fully grown adult tangerine will only reach 2.5 to 4 inches in length. This is a well-mannered creature and should not be housed with more aggressive species or fish large enough to see it as an appetizing snack. In the wild, they often communicate in small groups. However, in the confines of an aquarium, two males may demonstrate territorial behavior towards each other. Keeping a male and a female together will not present any problems. This is a shy fish. Avoid having too many other bottom dwellers in your community tank. The tangerine is more likely to starve rather than compete for its food. It will also require a lot of hiding places. This is a suitable candidate for a reef aquarium. It does consume crustaceans, but they are much smaller than what you would buy to populate your reef tank. Don’t keep them with sea anemones, as you might wake up with one less fish in your aquarium. Tangerines secrete a toxin in their mucosa that covers their bodies as a form of protection against predation. However, this toxin will not affect the other members of your aquarium as long as they do not try to eat the tangerine.
Mandarin fish is recommended only for expert aquarists. This is specifically due to their specialized diet in the wild. The diet of this omnivore consists mainly of amphipods (small shrimp-like crustaceans), copepods (plankton-sized crustaceans), gastropods (small univalves molluscs), and polychaete worms.
Mandarins will often succumb to death from malnutrition within the first six months of captivity. Many simply cannot make the transition to life in an aquarium. It is strongly recommended that you ask to see the food you wish to purchase before taking it home. Providing plenty of well-established live rock and live sand as a substrate will aid in the acclimatization process.
Despite their problems adjusting to a life in captivity, mandarins are a hardy species and highly resistant to disease. They have scaleless bodies and a skin type that is naturally immune to ichthyophthirius (ich). Tangerines that are successfully acclimated to aquarium life are healthy, active fish that can easily live for more than 10 years, possibly as long as 15.
It is relatively easy to sex tangerines. Males are generally larger than females. The dorsal fin of the male is longer and more pointed than that of the female. This fish is known to breed in captivity.