Mandarinfish

The Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus), sometimes known as a mandarin dragonet, is a small, vividly colored member of the family of dragonets that is well-liked in the saltwater aquarium industry. The native range of the mandarin fish is in the Pacific, roughly from the Ryukyu Islands south to Australia. It frequently inhabits some of the warmer seas. The mandarin fish consumes a variety of foods, including fish eggs, ostracods, tiny gastropods, grammarian amphipods, and harpacticoid copepods. The fish selectively peck at small food trapped on the coral substrate in a home range of many square meters while feeding continuously throughout the day in the wild.

The only physical similarity between a goby and a mandarin fish is in their body shapes. The striking coloring features a swirling orange stripe on the face and a brilliant blue background with bold blue stripes. Large pelvic fins are often mistaken for pectoral fins because they are utilized for "walking" on the ocean floor. The actual pectorals are practically in the middle and are almost completely transparent, with the exception of the anal fins and a portion of the tail, which are brightly striped in orange and blue. Males have a very tall dorsal fin with eye-catching orange and blue pattern. Typically, the eyes are crimson with black pupils.