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Fingered dragonet

Characteristics

  • Often recorded singly and in small groups.
  • Sometimes may ‘walk’ on sea bed.
  • Feeds on algae and benthic organisms.

Description

  • Body brown, with black and white blotches on the sides.
  • Pelvic fins are fan-like.
  • Appears to have ‘legs’, which are actually the pelvic spine and first pelvic ray fused into an elongated rod.
  • In males, first dorsal fin possesses elongated filamentous rays and a blue spot between first and second rays. In females, first dorsal fin rays are shorter and there is a horizontally elongated black spot on the posterior side of first dorsal fin.
  • Females are similar to another local species, Orange-black dragonet, but the two are readily distinguishable by the longer first dorsal fin and shorter fin rays in Orange-black dragonet.

Common Name: Fingered dragonet

Family Common Name: Dragonets

Family: Callionymidae

Scientific Name: Dactylopus dactylopus___(Valenciennes, 1837)

Genus: Dactylopus

Maximum Length: 30 cm (Total Length)

Fingered dragonet

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