This fish from the dragonet family lives in coral reefs and particularly in sheltered lagoons.
They tend to hover around depths of 1 to 6 m, often in areas where hatpin urchins also dwell. They follow the landscape’s contours, never venturing out into the open water.
They mainly feed on small crustaceans that they ‘peck at’ on the rocks.
Within the species, interactions are generally aggressive, often leading to the death of one of the animals. Fights between couples are also frequent.
They males sometimes live with multiple females. They recognize one another from the first ray of the dorsal fin, which is twice as big as in the female of the species.
When that spine is not raised but rather folded down along the back, it reaches all the way to the caudal fin. During the mating season, the males are more brightly coloured than the females.
The mandarinfish is covered with a thick mucus that acts as a repellent against predators.
