Mandarinfish
OrderCallionymiformes
FamilyCallionymidae
HabitatCoral Reefs
RangeW. Pacific
Max Length7 cm
Max Weight0.01 kg
DietCarnivore
About the Mandarinfish
One of only two vertebrate species with true blue coloring from pigment (not structure). Produce a toxic, foul-smelling mucus coating. One of the most colorful fish in the ocean. Nearly impossible to keep in captivity. Males perform elaborate mating dances at dusk.
Related Species
Clownfish
Made famous by Finding Nemo. Live symbiotically with sea anemones — their mucus coating pr...
Red Lionfish
One of the most destructive invasive species in the Atlantic. A single female produces 2 m...
Ocellaris Clownfish
The true Nemo fish. Live exclusively in Heteractis magnifica and Stichodactyla gigantea an...
Napoleon Wrasse
One of the largest reef fish. Can live 30+ years. Known to recognize individual divers. Fe...