| Picturesque dragonet | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Callionymiformes |
| Family: | Callionymidae |
| Genus: | Synchiropus |
| Species: | S. picturatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Synchiropus picturatus (W. K. H. Peters, 1877) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Thepicturesque dragonet (Synchiropus picturatus) is a brightly colored member of thedragonet family native to theIndo-West Pacific:Philippines, easternIndonesia and northwestAustralia. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade, where it is commonly known as thespotted mandarin,psychedelic mandarin ortarget mandarin.
The picturesque dragonet may grow to a size of 7 cm in length. They have thick slime on their skin that inhibits many types of parasitic infection and minimizes the risk of disease following stress or physical trauma. This seems to help protect them from some other more aggressive fish.
Synchiropus picturatus is one of only two vertebrates known to have blue colouring because of cellular pigment, the other being the closely relatedSynchiropus splendidus. The name "cyanophore" was proposed for the bluechromatophores, or pigment-containing and light-reflecting cells. In all other known cases, the colour blue comes from thin-filminterference from piles of flat, thin and reflectingpurine crystals.[1]
This species is quite harmless to humans and is quite peaceful with other species. The Picturesque dragonet is a marine animal that naturally lives at a temperature between 24-28 C.[2]
Media related toSynchiropus picturatus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related toSynchiropus picturatus at WikispeciesThisCallionymidae article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |