Spotted dragonet
A small benthic dragonet of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.
The spotted dragonet (*Callionymus maculatus*) lives in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, at depths between 45 and 650 metres. Local subsistence fishers rely on this fish.
Its body is shaped like the common dragonet but smaller: males reach 16 centimetres total length, females 13 centimetres. The head and body are broad and flattened underneath, rounded on top, and become round in cross-section toward the tail. The large eyes sit close together on top of the head, which has a large, protractile mouth. The snout is slightly shorter than the eye’s diameter—noticeably shorter than in the common dragonet. The preoperculum is hooked with four spines: one points forward, three backward. There are two tall dorsal fins—taller in males than females—and the male’s first dorsal fin is slightly higher than the second. The first dorsal fin has four rays, the second has nine or ten. The anal fin is about the same size as the second dorsal fin, and the tail is long. Pectoral fins are on the sides; pelvic fins are fan-shaped with a wide base. Females and immature males are yellowish-brown, with a double row of obvious brown spots on the flanks mixed with smaller blue spots, plus four brown saddle-shaped blotches along the back. Mature males look similar but have four horizontal rows of conspicuous dark spots and smaller blue spots on the dorsal fin; females have two rows.
This benthic fish lives on sandy seafloors. It spawns in pairs, and its eggs, larvae, and postlarvae drift in open water. Off Scotland, spawning runs from April to September. Females mature faster than males and spawn repeatedly; males may reach first maturity at different ages. In females, the rays of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins grow at the same rate, but in males these rates differ after maturity. It mainly eats polychaetes and amphipods, but also bivalves, shrimps, and brittle stars. Smaller individuals eat more amphipods and fewer polychaetes than larger ones.
Humans catch the spotted dragonet as bycatch, but it is usually thrown back in the beach seine fishery off central Portugal. Dragonets are sometimes taken in bottom trawls and sold locally; some species also appear in the aquarium trade.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Callionymus maculatus
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The spotted dragonet is similar in shape to the common dragonet (Callionymus lyra) but smaller, with males reaching 16 cm and females 13 cm total length. It has a broad, flattened head and body, flat ventrally and convex dorsally, with a round cross-section posteriorly. The large eyes are close together on top of the head, which has a large, protractile mouth. The snout is a little shorter than the eye diameter, markedly shorter than in the common dragonet. The preoperculum is hooked with four spines: one pointing forward and three backward. There are two high dorsal fins, taller in males; the first dorsal fin has four rays and the second has 9–10 rays. The anal fin is similar in size to the second dorsal fin, and the tail is long. Pectoral fins are lateral, and pelvic fins are fan-shaped with a broad base.
Females and immature males are yellowish-brown with a double row of obvious brown spots on the flanks interspersed with smaller blue spots, and four brown saddle-shaped blotches along the back. Mature males are similar but have dorsal fins with four horizontal rows of conspicuous dark spots and smaller blue spots, while females have two rows. The species is benthic, living on sand substrates. It spawns in pairs, with pelagic eggs, larvae, and postlarvae. Off Scotland, spawning extends from April to September; females mature faster than males and are serial spawners, and males may reach first maturity at different ages. The rays of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins grow at equal rates in females but at different rates in males after maturity. Its diet consists mainly of polychaetes and amphipods, with bivalves, shrimps, and brittle stars also frequent; smaller specimens take more amphipods and fewer polychaetes than larger individuals.
Reader's Guide
The spotted dragonet is notable primarily as a species important to local subsistence fishing in its range, which extends from southern and western Iceland and Norway south to Senegal, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea (including the Adriatic and Aegean) but absent from the Black Sea; its Atlantic range includes the Canary Islands. It is taken as bycatch in fisheries, such as the beach seine fishery on the central coast of Portugal, where it is normally discarded. Dragonets are sometimes taken as bycatch in bottom trawls and marketed locally, and some species are commercially used in the aquarium trade. The species' benthic lifestyle on sand substrates and its spawning behavior—pair spawning with pelagic early life stages—are typical of the family Callionymidae. Its diet shifts with size, with smaller individuals feeding more on amphipods and fewer polychaetes. The spotted dragonet's morphological differences between sexes, including fin height and coloration patterns, are documented, with mature males displaying more elaborate dorsal fin markings. The species' depth range of 45 to 650 metres indicates a broad vertical distribution. Its significance lies in its role in local subsistence fisheries and as a component of bycatch in regional fisheries, though it is often discarded.
Did You Know?
- The spotted dragonet occurs at depths from 45 to 650 metres.
- Males grow to a total length of 16 cm, females to 13 cm.
- Its spawning season off Scotland extends from April to September.
- It feeds mainly on polychaetes and amphipods, with smaller specimens taking more amphipods.
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