Ruby Red Scooter Dragonet (Synchiropus sycorax)

The Ruby Red Scooter Dragonet (Synchiropus sycorax) is a small, deep red reef fish speckled with white, with bright yellow fins marked by a black band. It spends the day hopping and scooting over rock and sand, picking off copepods and other tiny crustaceans one at a time. Peaceful and completely reef safe, it is a great fit for a mature reef with a healthy pod population. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies and all of our fish.

You will often see it sold as a "Scooter Blenny." That name is a trade misnomer. It is not a blenny at all but a dragonet, family Callionymidae, the same family as the Green Mandarin. That matters, because blenny care advice does not apply: dragonets are slow, bottom-dwelling micro-predators that need a steady supply of live food. The good news is that this species is noticeably easier than a Mandarin, and many individuals learn to eat frozen foods.

Care Guide

• Mature tank required: an established reef, ideally 6 months or older, with plenty of live rock and a resident population of copepods and amphipods. A refugium that grows pods out of the fish's reach is a big advantage.
• Tank size: 30 gallons or larger for one fish. Pod supply matters more than volume, and bigger, older systems produce more pods.
• Feeding: seed the tank with live copepods regularly and feed phytoplankton so the pods keep breeding. Most Ruby Reds will learn frozen foods such as cyclops, baby brine shrimp, and finely chopped mysis. Target feed with a baster in a low-flow spot so faster fish do not get there first.
• Watch the belly: a well-fed dragonet has a gently rounded profile. A pinched or hollow belly means it is not getting enough, and it is time to add pods or target feed more often.
• Water: 72 to 78°F, salinity 1.020 to 1.025, pH 8.1 to 8.4. Keep parameters stable.
• Lid: recommended. Dragonets can jump and will find gaps around plumbing and cords.
• One male per tank: males carry a taller, more elaborate first dorsal fin and will fight each other.

Specifications

Compatibility

Aggression is never the problem with this fish; competition for food is. It does well with calm reef fish that feed in the water column, such as Ocellaris Clownfish, Purple Firefish Gobies, and Banggai Cardinalfish. Corals, clams, snails, and cleaner shrimp are all safe.

Avoid pod hunters that strip the same food supply, especially six line wrasses and other small wrasses, and avoid fast, greedy feeders that beat it to every meal. Keep only one male, and do not combine it with other dragonets like the Green Mandarin, Spotted Mandarin, or Ocellated Scooter Dragonet unless the system is large and pod production is clearly surplus.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Bulldawg Copepod Mix, live marine pods to seed and top up the population
• Reef Nutrition Tigger-Pods (Live), larger pods dragonets hunt readily
• Reef Nutrition Phyto-Feast Live so your pods keep breeding
• Adaptive Reef Copepod Habitat to grow pods safely in your sump or refugium
• SFBB Frozen Cyclops, a good first frozen food to train onto
• SFBB Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp, small enough for its mouth

FAQ

Is it a blenny or a dragonet?
A dragonet. "Scooter Blenny" is an old trade name that stuck because of the way it scoots along the bottom. It belongs to the family Callionymidae with the Mandarins, and it should be cared for like a dragonet.

Will it eat frozen food?
Often, yes. Ruby Reds are generally more willing to take frozen cyclops, baby brine, and finely chopped mysis than Mandarins are. Still, plan on a mature tank with pods and treat frozen acceptance as a big help rather than a guarantee.

Can it go in a new tank?
No. A new tank has not built up the copepod population this fish depends on. Wait until the system is mature and you can see pods on the glass and rock at night.

Is it reef safe?
Completely. It ignores corals, clams, and ornamental invertebrates.

How is it different from the Green Mandarin?
Same family, smaller fish, and usually an easier eater. The Mandarin is graded advanced because it rarely takes prepared food. The Ruby Red is intermediate, but it still needs a pod-rich, established tank.