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Family Callionymidae
Dragonets
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Dragonets are small benthic fishes that have a stout head and tiny
mouth. They are sexually dimorphic and often brightly colored with
showy fins. This family includes the Mandarinfishes. Hawaii
has several species but they are cryptic, small, or restricted to deep
water.
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HAWAII
Callionymus decoratus
Ft. Kamehemeha, Oahu, 10 feet
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Ft. Kamehemeha, Oahu, 10 feet |
Ft. Kamehemeha, Oahu, 10 feet
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Ft. Kamehemeha, Oahu, 10 feet |
Ft. Kamehemeha, Oahu, 10 feet
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Ft. Kamehemeha, Oahu, 10 feet |
Female, Sharks Cove, Oahu, 35 feet
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Female, Sharks Cove, Oahu, 35 feet |
Wailupe, Oahu, 12 feet |
Wailupe, Oahu, 12 feet |
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LONGTAIL DRAGONET
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Uncommon or simply overlooked since it lies partially buried in silty
sand from calm reef flats to 500 feet. Males have a caudal fin
almost as long as the body. Up to 10 inches. Endemic to
Hawaii.
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Callionymus comptus
Female, Ke'ei, Hawaii, 75 feet
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Female, Ke'ei, Hawaii, 75 feet
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Female, Sharks Cove, Oahu, 35 feet
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ORNAMENTED DRAGONET
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A tiny fish found on sand at scuba
depths. Six orange spots on side. Males ornamented with blue
lines. About 1.6 inches long and endemic to Hawaii.
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Synchiropus rosulentus
Firehouse, Oahu, 35 feet
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ROSY DRAGONET
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A tiny fish found on sand at scuba
depths. Five brown spots on dorsal surface, males with blue lines on
base of pectoral fins, females have black on first dorsal fin. About
1 inches long and endemic to Hawaii.
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Family Trichonotidae
Sandburrowers
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Small carnivores that live buried in sand. They are
quite easy to find once you know how. Find a coarse sand pocket and slowly
push your fingers ahead of you about a centimeter deep. Watch carefully
for the fish as it darts away and wriggles into the sand a short distance away.
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Limnichthys nitidus
ELEGANT SANDBURROWER
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Common buried in coarse sand
pockets. Invisible until disturbed as it
darts away. Body is almost transparent and
1 inch long. Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, and Hawaii.
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