Frogfish and Dragonets Codexery

Picturesque dragonet

A slime-coated, blue-pigmented dragonet from the Indo-West Pacific.

Last updated

Picturesque dragonet

Daiju Azuma · via Wikipedia: Picturesque dragonet · CC BY-SA 2.5

The picturesque dragonet is a tropical fish native to the waters of Indonesia and surrounding areas.[1] It is multicolored with a body mainly green, orange, and black.[1] This species is one of only two vertebrates known to have blue coloring from cellular pigment.[2]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderSyngnathiformes
  6. FamilyCallionymidae
  7. GenusSynchiropus
  8. SpeciesSynchiropus picturatus

Named by (Peters, 1877)

Close relatives

Other species of Synchiropus with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Picturesque dragonet (CC BY-SA 4.0) · differs from this box at order: WoRMS AphiaID 273257 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Least Concern (LC)

  1. LC▲ this species
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2022

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

How big is it?

Size comparison: Picturesque dragonet and a personA 0.07 m long picturesque dragonet drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.0.07 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 0.07 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Picturesque dragonet

Where the picturesque dragonet has been recorded

Where the picturesque dragonet has been recorded8 mapped locations from 32 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (32 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 4 inland records left out (institution coordinates).

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)

Biology and range

The picturesque dragonet is a marine species that lives naturally at a temperature between 24 °C and 28 °C.[1] It is a fish living in pairs or solitary that naturally resides close to the bottom.[1] The substrate is usually made up of sand and rocks.[1] This species is carnivorous.[1]

It is an oviparous fish that lays eggs in open water.[1] Females have a more rounded abdomen than males and are generally stockier.[1] The picturesque dragonet is diurnal and slightly territorial.[1] It remains a rather peaceful fish that generally behaves peacefully towards other species.[1]

The average size is 6 cm and the maximum size is 8 cm.[1] Longevity is 5 years.[1]

What the specialist sources record

The same source notes nitrate levels should remain below 50 mg/L.[1] The Fishipedia account describes the species as fearful by nature.[1] It advises against cohabitation with large territorial or too aggressive fish.[1] The WoRMS database records the species as Synchiropus picturatus (Peters, 1877), family Callionymidae.[3]

The GBIF database accepts the same taxonomic name and holds 87 occurrence records.[4] According to the Fishipedia sheet, the picturesque dragonet is a peaceful fish that generally behaves peacefully towards other species and is not dangerous to humans.[1][5] The Fishipedia source advises that the water in the aquarium should be kept at a temperature between 24 and 28 °C and a pH between 8.2 and 8.4.[1][5]

References

  1. Benoit, T. F.-C. (2024). Picturesque dragonet • synchiropus picturatus • fish sheet. Fishipedia. https://www.fishi-pedia.com/fishes/synchiropus-picturatus. facts only, no text reused. fishi-pedia.com
  2. Wikipedia, "Picturesque dragonet" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Blue Chromatophores in Two Species of Callionymid Fish", Zoological Science, 2009, p. 811–813 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. World Register of Marine Species, Synchiropus picturatus (AphiaID 273257). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
  4. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Synchiropus picturatus (taxon key 2386693). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Picturesque dragonet" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Benoit, T. F.-C. (2024). Picturesque dragonet • synchiropus picturatus • fish sheet. Fishipedia. https://www.fishi-pedia.com/fishes/synchiropus-picturatus (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Picturesque dragonet (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Test yourself on TriviaCafe: What is the scientific name of the Picturesque dragonet: Histiophryne psychedelica, Callionymus maculatus,… · More science trivia

More in Dragonets

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Elsewhere in Frogfish and Dragonets

Abantennarius analis · FrogfishAbantennarius sanguineus · FrogfishAntennarius pictus · FrogfishOcellated frogfish · FrogfishKuiterichthys · FrogfishLophiocharon trisignatus · Frogfish

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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