At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Small scaleless dragonet
A flat little bottom-dweller that looks diamond-shaped from above, mottled in red, tan, brown and white with stripes or spots. Males are brighter and raise a tall, sail-like dorsal fin with an orange base.23
Personality what they are like
Peaceful and mild-mannered toward other fish.3
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Scoots across sand and rock all day, sifting the bottom for tiny food.3
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Needs a well-established reef tank with live sand and live rock that supports plenty of copepods. Supplement with finely cut meaty foods and enriched brine shrimp.32
Home where they are happiest
Minimum about 30 US gallons (114 L) with live sand and live rock. Saltwater at about 22 to 26 °C, pH 8.1 to 8.4, dKH 8 to 12, specific gravity 1.020 to 1.025. Wild fish live on sandy lagoon and seaward reefs, rubble, algal turf and tidepools at 1 to 30 m.31
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Carnivore that lives mostly on copepods and other small bottom invertebrates. In aquariums it can be trained to take frozen or prepared foods.21
Company who they like around
Forms loose groups in the wild. Several can share a tank if added together, ideally two or three females per male.123
The story where it all began
Peter Simon Pallas described it in 1770 as Callionymus ocellatus. It is now placed in Synchiropus or Neosynchiropus, depending on the authority.2
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Despite the nickname scooter blenny, it is not a blenny at all; dragonets are related to seahorses and pipefishes.2
- 2
Seen from above, its body forms a neat diamond with the pectoral fins at the widest points.2
- 3
It was first described by Peter Simon Pallas back in 1770, under the name Callionymus ocellatus.2
- 4
Males are the showier sex, with brighter colours and a tall sail-like dorsal fin.2
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 2022)1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Scooter Dragonet. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Salinity checkevery week
- Top-upTop up evaporation with fresh RO water, not salt waterevery day
- Water testevery week
- Water changeAbout 10 to 20% of the waterevery 2 weeks
- Glass cleanevery week
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Synchiropus ocellatus fishbase.seused for distribution, size, depth, habitat, diet, IUCN
- Wikipedia: Ocellated dragonet en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, body shape, colours, diet, history, fun facts
- LiveAquaria: Scooter Blenny liveaquaria.comused for care, tank size, water parameters, colours, grouping
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.