Mandarin larvae

[jeffkeith_us]

Fins, Developmental Observation

Hi Everyone
The fins of Synchiropus splendidus are made up of stiff rays covered by skin. In Mandarinfish some of the rays supporting the find are bony, stiff and unjointed. I refer to these rays as spines. Almost all the fin rays in the two Dorsal fins of Synchiropus splendidus are bony spines. So I call the front (Anterior) portion of dorsal fin the Spiny Dorsal or Harp Dorsal and the rear (Posterior) portion I called the Adipose fin. In Synchiropus splendidus and other Dragonet species the Harp Dorsal and the Adipose Dorsal are completely separated and form two distinct fins, the Dorsal and Adipose fin. The number of rays in the each fin is also used in classification.
Each fin on a Mandarinfish is designed to perform a specific function:
Dorsal fin. This spiny unjointed fin is large and when extended has the silhouette of a harp on males. It has the silhouette of a ”D” and is comparatively very small on females. The Anterior Dorsal is normally not extended with either sex. Used solely for signaling, in aggression, defense, or mating. Will be extended wile Synchiropus splendidus is sleeping.
Adipose fin. Lends stability in swimming and extends from base of the Dorsal fin to the Caudal peduncle. Consists of a hard anterior and soft posterior section
Ventral fin. Serves to provide stability in swimming and is used for caressing during mating. Also used as a bi-pod wile Synchiropus splendidus is sleeping on top of the substrate.
Caudal fin. Most fish, use the Caudal or tail fin for the main propelling fin, but this is so with the Mandarinfish only for escape. Synchiropus splendidus uses the Caudal primarily for tight turning.
Anal fin. Also lends stability in swimming. Consists of a hard anterior and soft posterior section.
Pectoral fins. Primarily used to provide hovering, locomotion, and side to side movement.
Jeff

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Developmental Observation

Hi Everyone
The Mandarinfish can easily hold position, even though power-heads are changing the directional flow of the water current, while waiting for the animal being stalked to position itself into close proximity of ideal striking distance and stop moving. Notice that in the jpg you can almost not see the Pectoral fins. You will need to look at it for a while to see them. The left Pectoral is shown in a reverse "C" shape just above and to the posterior of the left Ventral fin. You can just see the exterior of the right Pectoral fin.
Jeff

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Everyone
These are some good websights:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mandarins.htm
http://www.nachzuchtenregister.de/Fische/Synchiropus_splendidus/S__Heydenreich/s__heydenreich.htm

 

[NaH2O]

Jeff - I don't know if you've seen this image in our fish gallery, but it was taken by one of our member's here, mkpaulson. I think it is an excellent image, showing the elongated dorsal spine.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Nikki
Yes I've looked at that many times. This is a young male and his dorsal spine will grow longer, still.
Jeff

 

[Elmo18]

Good sites Jeff. Looks to be like the second site is in German?

Best,
Ilham

 

[jeffkeith_us]

Hi Everyone
In looking for ways to increase Amphipod, Copepod, and Isopod populations it looks like one of the best things to do is reduce the number of reef cleaners species to the following:
Banded Trochus Snail (Trochus sp.)
Super Tongan Nassarius Snail (Nassarius distortus)
Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab (Clibanarius sp.)
Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab (Paguristes cadenati)
Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab (Clibanarius tricolor)
Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab (Calcinus laevimanus)
I find that Banded Trochus Snail (Trochus sp.) does well in a Mandarin Reef aquarium when provided with ample hiding places and room to forage on Live rock which provides algae, cyanobacteria, and diatoms for food, but it also is an effective film algae eater, grazing on other surfaces, such as the sides of the tank. Therefore do not over populate any aquaria, in the which you intend to increase "pod" populations, with Trochus sp..
Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab (Paguristes cadenati) Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab (Calcinus laevimanus) are valuable additions to a Mandarin Reef aquarium because they eat many kinds of algae, including red slime algae (cyanobacteria), and sift the sand, as well.
I have been evaluating the use of Seachem's Renew instead of carbon and have so far had no problems. I think this will help increase the food supply for copepods. I am only using it in aquarium #7 at this time.

 

[liveforphysics]

Thank you for this exellent information. I will be switching my clean up crew to match your recomendation.

One day I dream of breeding mandarins, but I have a very long way to go before it will happen.

Do you have a prefered source for your Banded Trochus Snail and Super Tongan Nassarius Snail?

 

[crazzyreefer]

so how do you tell the differences between male and female? I would like to pair mine up. so I would firs have to figure out if mine is a male or female and then recognize the mate in a LFS.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

It's the Anterior Dorsal, shown in two places on page 7. The spiny unjointed fin is large and when extended has the silhouette of a harp on males. It has the silhouette of a ”D” and is comparatively very small on females. The Anterior Dorsal is normally not extended with either sex. Used solely for signaling, in aggression, defense, or mating. Will be extended wile Synchiropus splendidus is sleeping.
Jeff

 

[crazzyreefer]

this my mandarin, can anyone sex this one?

 

[crazzyreefer]

as far a pod population.. my polulation is one of the largest, I find no harm in having astrias, and cirths having any inpact, nor pepermint shrimp, with about 50 of them in the tank, the pod population is extreamly high. I have heard there is a coralation between ceopods and myssis, but it hasnt had any affect in my tank.

 

[crazzyreefer]

thank you jeff... I have a vary healthy male... so off to the LFS to find a female, should it be the same size, larger...smaller? does it matter?

 

[jeffkeith_us]

You're very welcome.

 

[jeffkeith_us]

What Size Aquarium

A lot of people have asked me about what size of an aquarium should a Dragnets have. So over the last two years I've undertaken a quest to give that very good question a correct answer.
First let me say that while we can get Mandarinfish to eat inert feed, frozen food, and baby Amphipods, we have got to culture Copepods. Anywhere you see the word "thrive" here, read it as "eating live Copepods" and don't think you're going to get by without a culture.
Other than food requirements aquaria which are taller, deeper, and at least wide enough to have a square front are far better than the brick or cube shaped types for Mandarinfish. My next aquarium will come from Glass Cages for here in the USA and will be 24 inches deep 48 inches tall and as long as I can talk my wife into. I'm praying for 96 inches long but thinking it will be more like 48 inches long. As for our home in Pasig City, Philippines I don't know; regardless, it will be at least 39 inches tall and 48 inches long.
Minimum Tank Size: The overwhelming driver of the mortality rate for Mandarinfish kept in small aquaria is starvation, not the lack of food, rather the lack of valuable substances. The minimum tank size should be 20 gallons, because the Mandarinfish will quickly devour all of their live food.
I've broken up the parameters up by standard aquarium size. All of the aquaria listed below are without a Refugium (not good) and had two Mandarinfish, a Clownfish pair, and an Anemone, so the information can be applied to Nanno aquaria. In order for these wonderful animals to survive in small aquariums, much less thrive, feeding them inert feeds, frozen food, and culturing 3 to 5 species of pods is required.
I normally sell the Mandarinfish pair with a Clownfish pair and an Anemone as a set to a local LFS. This after matching each of the two species with a mate; teaching them to eat inert feed and frozen food; and getting them to recognize the turkey baster. Doing it this way so that I know the Mandarinfish will be OK no mater who buys them, what that owner feeds them, or the size of the aquarium.

20 S - 29 T gal (aquarium #4 and #5)
Survive 4
Died 2
Only one female can be kept in the 20 Short long term. If the aquarium sports a good population of Copepods, baby Amphipods and 3 side cultures of copepods, one could use a 20 as the Quarantine tank for a large male or a mated pair.

30 Cube - 30 L (#1 and #6)
Thrive 2 Long
Died 2 Cube

40 S - 45 Tall
Thrive 3
Survive 1
Died 2

55 Wal-Mart Type - 58 Reef
Thrive 4
Survive 3
Died 2
(Yes, even though you must culture Copepods and Amphipods on the side, a Wal-Mart 55 gallons aquarium with egg-grate for the LR to set on and 3 inches DSB in front of the LR with a Emperor 400 and a Current USA SunPod make one of the best Mandarinfisn (though not a true reef) Aquariums I've ever seen...BUT DON'T TELL Melodina.)

75 S Reef - Oceanic 90 gallons 48 inch Bowfront Reef - 105 T Reef - 300 gal Outdoor Black Plastic Cement Box
Thrive 13
Died 2 (1 in the 75 and and 1 in the 105 gallons)

This shows that the larger the tank the more likely it is for the Mandarinfish to survive even thrive. The 300 I pretty much never need to do anything to. Any aquaria larger than 75 gallons and I am sure that the Mandarinfish will thrive especially if you have a refugium built for producing food species in accordance with Dr. Ron Shimek's recomendations, but anything less than a 40 gallons is guaranteeing the Mandarinfish a miserable existence and in all probability a worse death. In all cases watch the Mandarinfish to see how often they strike at prey. They should strike then move an inch or two and strike again 2 or 3 times then go to a different are in the aquarium. If they are forever looking but never striking do something fast.
In the area of good aquariums that are only 48 inch long an 80 or 90 gallons bowed front Reef; a 105, 120, or 140 gallons Reef aquarium, (if you only have a space that is 48 inches long) with the largest custom Refugium that will fit inside the stand are easily the best and smartest choices. Next would be the 45 gallons 36 inches long with a 30 gallons Refugium under it or a 29 gallons 30 inches long with a 20 gallons Refugium underneath.
Beyond that, if you know how to culture Amphipods, copepods, and greenwater and have condition the Mandarinfish to eat inert feeds and frozen food, the Mandarinfish will do well in Nanno aquaria. Provided that caretakers are there every day to knowledgeable care for the livestock. Then, in such a small aquarium the limited availability of food species should cause no problem what so ever. In which case I would say, “Just don’t use an aquarium smaller than 20 gallons or one that stays above 82°F (28°C).