Green Mandarin Goby

The Green Mandarin Goby (Synchiropus splendidus), also known as the Green Mandarinfish or Striped Mandarin, is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful saltwater fish in the world. Vibrant emerald-green base accented with electric blue and orange swirling patterns across the entire body — every fish looks like a living watercolor painting. Despite the name, it's technically a dragonet, not a true goby.

Mandarins are slow-moving, peaceful, and endlessly fascinating to watch as they hover over rockwork on tiny fluttering fins, hunting prey with their characteristic deliberate movements. They're completely reef-safe and ignore corals and invertebrates entirely, making them stunning display fish for mature reef systems.

Critical care note: Green Mandarins feed almost exclusively on live copepods and amphipods, which they pluck off live rock and substrate. They require a mature reef tank (6+ months established) with a thriving copepod population, or a dedicated refugium producing pods continuously. Some individuals can be trained to accept frozen foods over time, but this is not guaranteed.

Not recommended for: new tanks, tanks under 50 gallons without a refugium, or systems with aggressive food competitors like wrasses. Many Mandarins slowly starve in unprepared systems — please make sure yours is ready before bringing one home.

At Ocean To You, every Mandarin is observed eating before sale. We don't sell sick fish.