Scooter Dragonet

The Scooter Dragonet is a charming and endearing bottom-dwelling fish that scoots across the substrate and live rock surfaces in a distinctive hopping, darting motion that gives it its playful common name. Its body is covered in an intricate mottled pattern of brown, tan, white, and maroon blotches and reticulations, providing excellent camouflage against live rock and rubble. Males are distinguished by their notably taller first dorsal fin, which is adorned with an eyespot (ocellus) and can be flared dramatically during territorial or courtship displays. Though often mistakenly sold as a blenny, the Scooter Dragonet belongs to the family Callionymidae and shares many characteristics with its more famous cousin, the Mandarin Dragonet.

In the aquarium, the Scooter Dragonet is a fascinating fish to observe as it methodically hops from rock to rock, scanning surfaces for tiny copepods, amphipods, and other microfauna. Like the Mandarin Dragonet, it is a micro-predator that relies heavily on a thriving population of live copepods and amphipods in the aquarium for sustained nutrition. However, the Scooter Dragonet is generally more adaptable than the Mandarin and is more likely to accept frozen foods such as brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and cyclops, especially when target-fed. This greater dietary flexibility makes it somewhat more forgiving for intermediate aquarists, though a well-established tank with robust microfauna populations remains highly recommended.

The Scooter Dragonet is a peaceful, completely reef-safe fish that will not bother corals, clams, or other invertebrates. Its small maximum size of 3 inches makes it suitable for aquariums as small as 30 gallons, provided the tank is mature and has sufficient live rock to support a copepod population. Like the Mandarin Dragonet, this species produces a bitter, toxic mucus coating instead of traditional scales, which provides some natural resistance to common parasitic diseases. Only one male should be kept per tank, as males will fight aggressively. A male-female pair can coexist peacefully and may even spawn regularly, performing a brief rising courtship dance at dusk similar to other dragonet species.