Starry dragonet

Scientific name	Synchiropus stellatus
Descriptor	J. L. B. Smith
Year of description	1963
IUCN category (World)	LC
Family	Callionymidae
Genus	Synchiropus

Introduction

Synchiropus stellatus, commonly known as starry dragonet, is a salt water fish.

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Who is it?

Morphology

Average size

6 cm
Maximum size

8 cm
Longevity

5 year
Pattern

mottling

Average size

6 cm
Maximum size

8 cm
Longevity

5 year
Pattern

mottling

How to recognize the starry dragonet ?

The starry dragonet measures between 6 and 8 cm. This fish is tricolore with a predominantly noir, rose and blanc body. The also has rose and blanc mottling.

Sexual dimorphism

The females have a more rounded abdomen than the males, they are generally stockier. This characteristic is exacerbated in the period of reproduction.

Behaviour & Life cycle

diet

carnivorous
Sociability

living as a couple or alone
territorial

Yes
Way of living

diurnal

The starry dragonet is a fish living as a couple or alone naturally found near the bottom. This species is carnivorous .

Although slightly territorial, the starry dragonet is a rather peaceful animal that generally behaves in a peaceful manner with other species. It should be noted that it is sometimes less tolerant with its conspecifics. In a constant quest for dominance, the dominant males of this species cannot stand each other. The battle between two individuals can be intense and violent. It will result in the submission and sometimes even death of one of the protagonists.

Reproduction

Reproduction

ovipare qui pond en eau libre

The starry dragonet is a fish ovipare qui pond en eau libre.

Harmless species

This species does not represent any particular threats to humans when encountered in its natural environment.

Where to find it?

Origin

Great Barrier Reef Philippine Sea South East Asian Seas Indonesian seas

Conservation status of populations (IUCN)

World : LC

Where to see this species?

What is its habitat?

Natural environment characteristics

Temperature

24 - 28 °C
Depth

1 - 18 m
Flow

Strong and Medium

Biotope presentation

The starry dragonet is most often found at a depth between 1m and 18m. However, it is not impossible to find this species at other depths.

Species of the same biotope

Main recommendations for fishkeeping

Deontology

Respect for wildlife

In order to preserve wildlife, if you acquire this animal, it must not be released into the wild. See also, the Fishipedia charter.

Fishipedia supports the practice of responsible and environmentally friendly aquarium keeping. We encourage maintenance if it is motivated by a desire to understand the biological functioning of living things and if it is done with respect for animal life.

We believe that aquaristics is an opening to the discovery of aquatic environments, especially freshwater, and that this knowledge is necessary to better protect and respect these environments. Logically, we refute the compulsive purchase of animals that would not find a sufficient and / or adapted place in the host aquarium.

Our recommendations

Min volume

100 liters
Population min

1
Temperature

24 - 28 °C
pH (acidity)

8.2 - 8.4

Characteristics

Difficulty breeding

hard
Robustness

tolerant
Behaviour

peaceful
Availability

standard

General reminders

Before acquiring an animal

It is strongly advised to read the complete dedicated file and to get information on the feedbacks of maintenance of the envisaged animal, this to avoid any potential conflict whose end result is generally the death of the individual (or the other inhabitants). It is important not to overload your aquarium to limit pollution. This will make maintenance easier.

Conditions for rearing in seawater

The realization of a seawater aquarium requires certain knowledge beforehand. Seawater is generally synthetic, consisting of reverse osmosis water and synthetic salt at a level of 33g / liters. It is also possible to take seawater directly (after making sure that the water is not polluted). The operation of a seawater aquarium is done in three phases: the installation of a living stone decoration, the introduction of invertebrates one month later, and the introduction of fish 3 months later. It is essential to wait as long as possible before to introduce the animals so that the micro-fauna has had time to develop well. The balance and the physico-chemical stability are fundamental for the success of this type of tank.

General reminder on maintenance datas

Setting up your aquarium

Le démarrage d'un aquarium est une partie primordiale pour l'équilibre et le bien-être des poissons. Lorsque l'on met en eau un aquarium, l'eau passe naturellement par un cycle biologique : le cycle de l'azote. Celui-ci dure environ trois semaines. Tous les 2 jours, nous vous conseillons de tester votre eau jusqu'à ce que le taux de nitrite soit à zéro pendant plusieurs jours d'affilée.

Pour accélérer ce cycle, vous pouvez utiliser un activateur de bactéries comme JBL Denitrol. Cette solution riche en bactéries vivantes et enzymes permet une mise en place rapide du cycle de l'azote. Les poissons peuvent alors être introduits plus rapidement.

Testing water parameters

Il est important de tester l'eau de son aquarium régulièrement pour maintenir un environnement sain pour les poissons et les autres habitants. Les tests d'eau permettent de mesurer les niveaux de différents paramètres tels que le pH, la dureté totale, ainsi que les taux de nitrates, de nitrites et d'ammoniaque.

Pour réaliser ces tests, vous pouvez utiliser des produits d'analyse spécialisés tels que JBL ProScan qui permet de réaliser un diagnostic de l'eau directement via un smartphone. Il existe également des coffrets de tests plus classiques de bandelettes, comme JBL PROAQUATEST.

Water changes

En cas d’usage de l’eau du robinet, vous pouvez utiliser un conditionneur d’eau de type Biotopol de JBL pour éliminer les substances nocives comme le chlore, le cuivre, le plomb et le zinc. Les conditionneurs d'eau garantissent une meilleure santé aux poissons et une meilleure croissance des plantes.

Precautions to be taken with chlorine

Chlorine and chloramine are dangerous for the health of animals. Used to disinfect water, these agents are present in significant quantities in tap water. We recommend using an anti-chlorine agent every time you change the water. In addition to chlorine, treatments and medicines sold for aquarium use sometimes contain dangerous heavy metals in high doses.

Specific needs for the starry dragonet

The starry dragonet is a marine species which lives naturally at a temperature between 24 °C and 28 °C. For proper maintenance, the temperature should never exceed the 31°C for long periods. Nitrate levels should remain below 50mg/L. To keep the water clean and unpolluted, plan on changing 20% to 30% of the water volume each month. In seawater, it is also possible to remove nitrates using one of the following methods: Jaubert, denitrator on sulfur, biopeletts, vodka method.

Maintenance difficulty

The starry dragonet is a species whose maintenance is rather reserved for informed aquarists . It can only be successfully carried out by carrying out a minimum of documentation work. Special husbandry conditions can easily lead to the death of the species or other animals.

Cohabitation & Environment

In a community aquarium context, this species should be kept in a minimum volume of 100 liters.

Fearful by nature, it is advised not to let the starry dragonet cohabit with large territorial species or with too aggressive fish. It can easily evolve with territorial neighbors with a peaceful temperament or with non-territorial species.

Be careful to plan an adequate space for each territorial species. Each species should have a surface and a decor allowing it to juxtapose its territory with that of its neighbors.

The males of this species do not support each other, the maintenance of several of them in the same tank is strongly disadvised.

As previously said, The starry dragonet is a species that lives naturally in the current. Thus, we advise the installation of an oversized filtration system (10 to 20 times the volume of the tank) in order to guarantee a strong current and especially a strong oxygenation. A venturi system will improve the dissolved oxygen rate during summer.

To best reproduce the biotope of this species, you can cover the bottom of the tank with sand and put a pile of stones to form caves.

Tips for feeding

The starry dragonet is carnivorous.

This species does not appreciate being fed with freeze-dried food (flakes...). Some specimens will never eat this type of food.

You should not overfeed your residents to avoid polluting the water. For most species, it is better to feed a few small portions each day rather than one large meal.

Reproduction protocol

Maintenance difficulty

hard
egg-laying protection

No

Hybridization risks

In general, it is advised not to mix several species of the same genus or different varieties of the same species, to avoid the risks of hybridization.

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To go further

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To read on the web

Sources & Contributions

Participation & Validation

The Fishipedia team and specialist contributors are committed to providing high-quality content. However, although the information comes from scientific sources or testimonials from specialists, the cards may contain inaccuracies.

Quentin Barrault

Translation

Translation done with the valuable contribution of our translators, who make this information available to a wider audience. We sincerely thank them for their commitment.

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