Presentation on Mandarins - Give me your fun facts!

[_cpate3_]

In my coral reefs class (as an engineer it's a nice GPA boost especially being so deep into the hobby) we are doing presentations about a reef organism so I chose the mandarin dragonet mostly because of the one I have been nursing back to health. Give me your best fun fact about them or something I HAVE to have in the slideshow!

 

[Uncle99]

A true hunter!

 

[TehBrainz]

In my coral reefs class (as an engineer it's a nice GPA boost especially being so deep into the hobby) we are doing presentations about a reef organism so I chose the mandarin dragonet mostly because of the one I have been nursing back to health. Give me your best fun fact about them or something I HAVE to have in the slideshow!

I wouldn't say "best" fun fact, but they have a slime coat compared to scales and their coloration is used to warn off predators into thinking they are poisonous, when they are not.

Also, good for you for taking some non-engineering courses befor eyou graduate.

GPA boost or not, it helps in keeping you well-rounded and getting a well deserved break from the rigor!

I took entomology and sports fitness during my engineering undergrad. Still collect and mount insects over a decade later!

 

[randomfishdude]

i wish my school had a class like that. were even on the coast and al we get is maritime. which is almost useless unless you're learning basic skills.

 

[_cpate3_]

i wish my school had a class like that. were even on the coast and al we get is maritime. which is almost useless unless you're learning basic skills.

I didn’t even know it was an option until I talked with a professor I work for in the biology department who has 7 tanks in his office

 

[_cpate3_]

I wouldn't say "best" fun fact, but they have a slime coat compared to scales and their coloration is used to warn off predators into thinking they are poisonous, when they are not.

Also, good for you for taking some non-engineering courses befor eyou graduate.

GPA boost or not, it helps in keeping you well-rounded and getting a well deserved break from the rigor!

I took entomology and sports fitness during my engineering undergrad. Still collect and mount insects over a decade later!

I knew about the mucus coating because I thought mine had died one night (I bought him so malnourished I just thought that was it) but found out they excrete more at night and turn whiteish. I did not know that they had no scales tho I’ll be sure to add that!

 

[Cthulukelele]

I knew about the mucus coating because I thought mine had died one night (I bought him so malnourished I just thought that was it) but found out they excrete more at night and turn whiteish. I did not know that they had no scales tho I’ll be sure to add that!

The slime coat is also incredibly noxious and unpalatable. It's the same defense mechanism clown gobies use.

 

[randomfishdude]

I didn’t even know it was an option until I talked with a professor I work for in the biology department who has 7 tanks in his office

Maybe it will at whatever collage I go to.

 

[Cthulukelele]

https://reefbuilders.com/2017/08/24/watch-mandarin-dragonets-spawning-wild/
Here's a fun reef builders article with a video about their spawning in the wild. They're very breedable in captivity because of their shallow water broadcast spawning.

 

[TehBrainz]

Maybe it will at whatever collage I go to.

Check out all the random life sciences courses wherever you go. I randomly found entomology by doing just that.

The college I went to was heavy in engineering as well as agriculture, so no shortage in those "intro" classes.

Either way, I highly recommend taking intro courses outside of your study of focus for reasons mentioned earlier in this thread

 

[_cpate3_]

Check out all the random life sciences courses wherever you go. I randomly found entomology by doing just that.

The college I went to was heavy in engineering as well as agriculture, so no shortage in those "intro" classes.

Either way, I highly recommend taking intro courses outside of your study of focus for reasons mentioned earlier in this thread

Oh yeah for sure, it’s nice to get a break from the calc and physics side of things, and get more of my reefing addiction!

 

[twentyleagues]

They have short digestive tracts and fast metabolisms. 1 can eat over 10,000 copepods in a day.

 

[mozes2315]

I wouldn't say "best" fun fact, but they have a slime coat compared to scales and their coloration is used to warn off predators into thinking they are poisonous, when they are not.

Also, good for you for taking some non-engineering courses befor eyou graduate.

GPA boost or not, it helps in keeping you well-rounded and getting a well deserved break from the rigor!

I took entomology and sports fitness during my engineering undergrad. Still collect and mount insects over a decade later! I’ve always found mandarins fascinating because they’re such specialized little hunters. One thing that might be worth mentioning is how their feeding behavior makes them almost constantly “work” the rock and sand looking for tiny prey. If you want to make the presentation a bit more engaging, you could also show how much easier it is to put together a visual explanation nowadays. I’ve used https://slideonic.ai/ for making AI-generated slides and presentations, and it’s surprisingly useful for turning a bunch of facts into something that actually looks presentable. For a mandarin presentation, you could easily build a few slides around their diet, hunting behavior, slime coat, coloration, and spawning. Good luck with the class — sounds like a pretty fun project!

Entomology sounds like a great choice for an engineering student, honestly.

 

[txj4ep0]

They grow pretty slowly but are so cute when they’re small.

Mine is currently a little less than an inch. He’s made friends with my adult fire shrimp. They hang out on the rock together and watch my clown fight the current for entertainment.