Rare fish - Western Mandarin Dragonet

[Kruss7]

Hi everyone, has anyone ever seen one of these in person? Does anyone have one? Haven’t heard about them in years. It’s not the regular spotted Mandarin, it’s the western mandarin dragonet.

There’s almost no information or pictures online.

 

[KrisReef]

https://www.saltyunderground.com/sa...GZTAWIrWV0E2_hKLiZk9Va7Xmn2JuJjZSwjX9pe33xz2h

 

[Kruss7]

https://www.saltyunderground.com/sa...GZTAWIrWV0E2_hKLiZk9Va7Xmn2JuJjZSwjX9pe33xz2h

Not the same fish. That is a regular spotted mandarin.

 

[Tamberav]

I remember the article about them but have never seen them for sale anywhere. Even the original article states that "chances are, you will never see one in your lifetime"

Would be pretty cool if some breeding pairs were sent to @Biota_Marine or something though :p One can dream.

 

[radiata]

I believe that's the "Gold" Mandarin version. I understand they come from an area off Australia where the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean collide together. The currents in the area are so strong and varied, that they make these fish virtually uncollectable.

 

[mantislover]

Hi everyone, has anyone ever seen one of these in person? Does anyone have one? Haven’t heard about them in years. It’s not the regular spotted Mandarin, it’s the western mandarin dragonet.

There’s almost no information or pictures online.

The photos you have posted are a regular spotted mandarin. The western mandarin or mandarin dragonet looks like this

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...80px-Synchiropus_splendidus_2_Luc_Viatour.jpg
They are very common in Australia and we regularly see both spotted mandarins and dragonet mandarins for sale, i actually saw one last week at my LFS in Victoria Australia. They sell for around $60-$80 AUD

 

[littlefoxx]

Hi everyone, has anyone ever seen one of these in person? Does anyone have one? Haven’t heard about them in years. It’s not the regular spotted Mandarin, it’s the western mandarin dragonet.

There’s almost no information or pictures online.

Oh wow thats a pretty fish! I love the white on its eye! I had one of the spotted ones a while back. Ive never seen one of those before! This was Target.

 

[JMann]

The photos you have posted are a regular spotted mandarin. The western mandarin or mandarin dragonet looks like this

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...80px-Synchiropus_splendidus_2_Luc_Viatour.jpg
They are very common in Australia and we regularly see both spotted mandarins and dragonet mandarins for sale, i actually saw one last week at my LFS in Victoria Australia. They sell for around $60-$80 AUD

Nope. Look a little closer. It’s a different fish from the regular Spotted/“Target” Mandarin.

 

[Kruss7]

I remember the article about them but have never seen them for sale anywhere. Even the original article states that "chances are, you will never see one in your lifetime"

Would be pretty cool if some breeding pairs were sent to @Biota_Marine or something though :p One can dream.

If they could just catch a pair and breed them that would be awesome, mandarins have been being bred for many years now.

 

[Kruss7]

I believe that's the "Gold" Mandarin version. I understand they come from an area off Australia where the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean collide together. The currents in the area are so strong and varied, that they make these fish virtually uncollectable.

Makes sense, seems like they had a couple back in 2012, wonder what happened to those specimens tho!

 

[Kruss7]

The photos you have posted are a regular spotted mandarin. The western mandarin or mandarin dragonet looks like this

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...80px-Synchiropus_splendidus_2_Luc_Viatour.jpg
They are very common in Australia and we regularly see both spotted mandarins and dragonet mandarins for sale, i actually saw one last week at my LFS in Victoria Australia. They sell for around $60-$80 AUD

Unfortunately this isn’t the regular spotted or I would already have it. These haven’t been talked about since a 2012 reef builders article. Extraordinarily rare.

 

[Kruss7]

Oh wow thats a pretty fish! I love the white on its eye! I had one of the spotted ones a while back. Ive never seen one of those before! This was Target.

Yes its an absolutely gorgeous fish, not taking anything away from the spotted or any other mandarins because they are also gorgeous! Just was curious what happened to these, haven’t been talked about since 2012…

Here’s my girl posing for the camera lol

 

[dedragon]

The photos you have posted are a regular spotted mandarin. The western mandarin or mandarin dragonet looks like this

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...80px-Synchiropus_splendidus_2_Luc_Viatour.jpg
They are very common in Australia and we regularly see both spotted mandarins and dragonet mandarins for sale, i actually saw one last week at my LFS in Victoria Australia. They sell for around $60-$80 AUD

That isnt a spotted mandarin. Also your photo links to a normal Synchiropus splendidus. We get those in the US as well but op is looking for Synchiropus occidentalis
https://reefbuilders.com/2013/01/21/broodstock-quantities-west-australian-dragonet/

 

[Kruss7]

That isnt a spotted mandarin. Also your photo links to a normal Synchiropus splendidus. We get those in the US as well but op is looking for Synchiropus occidentalis
https://reefbuilders.com/2013/01/21/broodstock-quantities-west-australian-dragonet/

Yes this is what I’m looking for, not much info online, there is a video of one in someone’s tank from 2012

 

[Kruss7]

Here is a good article on this fish for those wondering, showing the difference.

Too bad that Jake isn’t around anymore.

https://reefbuilders.com/2013/01/25/close-personal-synchiropus-occidentalis/

 

[littlefoxx]

Yes its an absolutely gorgeous fish, not taking anything away from the spotted or any other mandarins because they are also gorgeous! Just was curious what happened to these, haven’t been talked about since 2012…

Here’s my girl posing for the camera lol

Oh no mandarins are all beautiful! And super unique.

 

[hapalochlaena]

This is Synchiropus picturatus occidentalis, it is a subspecies of the common spotted mandarin I believe, but I also remember reading somewhere that they were a distinct species, S. occidentalis.

Don’t think many people will have these in captivity, very difficult to find in the wild.
Beautiful fish, reminds me of a blue-ring.

 

[frater01]

Hi everyone, has anyone ever seen one of these in person? Does anyone have one? Haven’t heard about them in years. It’s not the regular spotted Mandarin, it’s the western mandarin dragonet.

There’s almost no information or pictures online.

I found this article and original pictures describing this fish file:///Users/aaronfrater/Downloads/Fricke_R_1983_Indo-Pacific_Callionymidae_Braunschweig.PDF

Its on page 654-655, it says where it can specifically be found in Australia, and that they are super rare and only found there.

 

[frater01]

I found this article and original pictures describing this fish file:///Users/aaronfrater/Downloads/Fricke_R_1983_Indo-Pacific_Callionymidae_Braunschweig.PDF

Its on page 654-655, it says where it can specifically be found in Australia, and that they are super rare and only found there.

Sorry that was a mistake here is the website
https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.../3a78d35d-96af-42ca-bf0e-5f3afeb8ff5d/content

 

[frater01]

Sorry that was a mistake here is the website
https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.../3a78d35d-96af-42ca-bf0e-5f3afeb8ff5d/content

Wow I am really sorry, that is also the wrong article. Here is the original record of this fish, part of a massive field guide of dragonetts. Apparently it was first officially described in 1983 and was declared a subspecies of the spotted mandarin. I also attached the screenshot of the pages.
https://www.researchgate.net/public...f_the_Dragonet_Family_Callionymidae_Teleostei