Light House at Malapascua
One of the most interesting but elusive fish in the sea is is Synchiropus splendidus commonly known as the Mandarin Fish. They have intrigued Marine Photographers because of their striking beauty while frustrating them because of the difficulty in capturing good images. This fish, a member of the family Callionymidae (dragonets), is a highly sought after photographic subject due to its exceptional coloration and interesting habits. This article describes how best to optimize photographic chances of capturing this wonderful animal.
This rarely seen fish occurs on fringing reefs around continental islands and adjacent offshore barrier reefs in both the Indian Ocean and Pacific waters. It lives in sheltered lagoons and generally occurs in groups. Mandarin fish inhabit broken coral bottoms and hence operate mostly under cover. They move in jerky movements pausing occasionally in open spaces but rarely for very long. They ingest small copepods for which they are constantly hunting. The male is larger than the female and has a spiked dorsal fin which is displayed erect when another male is encountered.
