Scooter blennie

[beefcake]

I was at the LFS the other day and they had a really cool looking scooter blennie. It was white and red. Does anyone know what it was ?

[Turf]

I was likely a red scooter blenny... actually from the manderin family and not the blenny family. I had one, really fun fish, but my tank pooped out on me and it died. You must make them feed it for you, if it doesn't eat don't get it because some of them don't get the brine is edible.

[naesco]

You need an aged tank filled with pods to ensure their survival.

[The Perfect Pet]

They are in the Dragonet family, the red ones sometimes called "Red Scooter Blenny" or "Stary Dragonet" (Synchiropus stellatus) As said above they can be a challange to feed, so make sure you either get one eating, or have a large "pod" population, with no other competitors for food.
I have had one for about 8 months in a 72g bow, he is very cool:D Luckily this one ate frozen brine and mysis right away, and now even grabs some flake once and a while (although I am sure he is not happy when he gets that) He also is a very prominent male and often displays when other fish come near him. Sometimes he will burry in the sand with just his eyes exposed :eek1:
Overall a great little reef fish :)

just my 2 centz

-B-

[beefcake]

I've seen pictures of a red scooter blenny. This looked nothing like that. This was very bright white and bright red. It was very small so perhaps this was simply it's juvinile coloring.

[Turf]

I stand corrected on the exact name, but still a super cool fish if it eats.

[The Perfect Pet]

Naesco,

as usual I disagree with your views.

My 72 has absolutely no pod life ( too many predators)
and as I said earier I have had him for 8 months now, and he is doing great. He even has a nice plump belly ;)
Now when it comes to Mandarin, I feel that a tank loaded with pods or a live source of zooplankton is required for long term success.

-B-

[The Perfect Pet]

Beefcake,

All of the ones I have seen , the smaller they are the brighter they are. Except for a mated pair that I saw one time. That male was really brilliant. Mine blends into the rock most of the time, with red and white on his body down to his tail. When he is excited or defending against other fish, his color deffinately intensifies.

-B-

[Turf]

As always everyone has their opinions... I didn't have any other preditors at the time and I think mine became partial to brine because I would watch pods swim/crawl over his nose before feeding and he could care less untill the brine was in the water.

[NTAnnin]

This would be a stellate dragonet from the western pacific. The word stellate comes from its latin scientific name and it is in the dragonet family. It's going to be just as difficult as the rest of the dragonet family to feed, so be sure to have a very aged and "living" tank. Not for the newcomer to the hobby.

[DJ88©]

This was very bright white and bright red. It was very small so perhaps this was simply it's juvinile coloring.

My two starry dragonets go through many colour changes during the course of a day. They can be the most brilliant white and red and then later have a blueish purple tinge to them and then appear brown later on in the night as the lights are about to go out.

If you are hoping to get this fish I will say like the others have. Make sure it eats prepared food. See it with your own eyes. Mine both do and are fat as can be. They eat pretty much anything I out in there for them.

[dc]

They come in various colors. Quite some time ago there was a thread and someone had one with circles. It was cool. Here's my guy.

http://images2.fotki.com/v16/photos/2/28482/171438/21003Scooterhead-vi.jpg

http://images2.fotki.com/v16/photos/2/28482/171438/21003scooter-vi.jpg

[DJ88©]

Here is my male when he was in my old tank.

http://members.shaw.ca/dj88/pix/starrydragonet.jpg

[crazyfishlady]

Here's my female. She buries herself every night. The male I had did not and I lost him to a mantis. (Caught a few days later)

http://mrscassel.com/scooter.jpg

[LOTUS50GOD]

i have 2 red scooters, but I also have a large pod population.

They are very social and stay out constantly.

[OrionN]

Originally posted by The Perfect Pet
Naesco,

as usual I disagree with your views.

My 72 has absolutely no pod life ( too many predators)
and as I said earier I have had him for 8 months now, and he is doing great. He even has a nice plump belly ;)
Now when it comes to Mandarin, I feel that a tank loaded with pods or a live source of zooplankton is required for long term success.

-B-
There is no different between the feeding habit of Scooter Dragonet vs. Mandarin Dragonet, or all dragonets. FWIW, Scott Michael rated all of these fish as 2 in the scales of 1-5 with 1 impossible and 2 as "Most individuals of these species do not acclimate of the home aquarium, often refusing to feed and wasting away in captivity."
IMO, Dragonet are easy to keep if they are provided with the natural prey they feed on-the tiny crustaceans living in/on live rock and live sand.
There are always people who claim that these fish are easy and that they trained them to eat frozen food. I would be very skeptical about the ease of training these fish to eat dead food. These cases are few and far in between. I am not saying that this not happen but it certainly does not happen very often at all.
Minh Nguyen

[SeaMermaid]

Hey Guys.......... Great pics. Beautiful Scooters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!