DRAGONETS and MANDARINFISH

Dragonets are small fish from the diverse Callionymidae family (from the Greek meaning beautiful name. There are about 186 species in 18 genera. Dragonets are easily confused with members of the goby family as they appear and behave in similar ways.

Although dragonets are a widespread and diverse group, because they are often tiny and bottom dwellers, they tend to be largely unseen by divers. The largest is the longtail dragonet at 30 centimetres while the smallest is the Saint Helena dragonet at just 2 centimetres. This tiny fish is so rare and endangered that it's impossible to even find an image of one on the internet.

Dragonet bodies are elongated and scaleless, with large, showy fins – the first high dorsal fin usually has four spines and in males, these may be further adorned with filamentous extensions while their tail fins are fan-shaped and tapered.

Dragonets tend to be colourful fish but with cryptic patterns that provide camouflage on the seabed or reefs. In many species, males and females have different colours and patterns, which become obvious during elaborate courtship displays – males show off their brightly coloured fins and repeatedly open and close their mouths. If the female is interested, the two fish will pair up and ascend in the water column, with the male supporting the female on his pectoral fins. Eggs and sperm are released in midwater, where fertilization takes place. The buoyant eggs subsequently become part of the plankton, drifting with the currents until hatching.