Mandarinfish (English name: Mandarinfish, scientific name: Synchiropus splendidus ) is a species of saltwater fish belonging to the genus Synchiropus , family Callionymidae , order Perciformes. The Mandarin fish is known as one of the most beautiful fish in the world, often living near coral islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The name Poinsettia fish is a name derived from the appearance, color, and pattern on the body of the poinsettia fish, which is as beautiful as the clothes of the new poinsettias when they receive their ordination.
Mandarin fish belongs to the family Callionymidae in the order Bass, a family of about 10 genera with more than 182 species. The genus Synchiropus is divided into 10 subgenera with 52 species, of which the subgenus Pterosynchiropus includes poinsettias along with S. occidentalis and S. picturatus.
There are two main varieties of Mandarin fish, Mandarinfish and Psychedelic Mandarin. Mandarinfish species often have more beautiful patterns and colors than Psychedelic species. Their size is quite small, about 6 cm, the longest can reach about 15 cm. Pangasius fish have a fairly long lifespan, an estimated lifespan of about 10 – 15 years.
The food of this fish is crustaceans and small invertebrates: benthic copepods ( Harpacticoida ), polychaetes ( Polychaeta ), small gastropods ( Gastropoda ), hook shrimp ( Gammaridea ), fish eggs and crustaceans (Ostracoda).
Mandarin fish has a scaleless body, smooth skin, blue, green or orange-red color, with impressive wavy patterns. Because there are no protective scales, the body has the ability to secrete thick mucus and an unpleasant, toxic odor to threaten predators.
They have large pelvic fins that allow them to “walk” on the substrate, the pectoral fins are actually more central to the body and are almost transparent. Their eyes are large and slightly protruding from the body. The eyes are red with large black pupils.
The sex of the Poinsettia fish is not difficult to distinguish, males have a longer and pointed dorsal fin, females have a slightly smaller body.
In nature, they originate from the Pacific Ocean, with a distribution stretching from the Ryukyu Islands to Australia. However, they can now be purchased worldwide. Prices range from 20 – 40 USD depending on the size and color of the fish.
