Wild Wonders of Europe / Lundgren / Dragonet (Callionymus lyra) Moere coastline, Norway, February 2009

David Fleetham / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) Yap, Micronesia.

David Fleetham / Male and female mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus), performing a mating dance off Yap Island, Malaysia.

Alex Mustard / Pair of Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) spawning. The larger male (behind) is lifting the female into the spawning rise on his pectoral fin, the smaller female (foreground) is releasing eggs, cl...

Alex Mustard / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) pair spawning. The larger male (behind) is lifting the female into the spawning rise on his pectoral fin, the smaller female (foreground) is releasing eggs, clear...

Constantinos Petrinos / Mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus) among the coral rubble, Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Constantinos Petrinos / Mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus) among the coral rubble, Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Constantinos Petrinos / Mandarin dragonet (Synchiropus splendidus) among coral rubble, Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Mandarinfish (Sychiropus splendidus). Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Pascal Kobeh / Green mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) pair courting and mating at sunset, Sulu Sea, Philippines

Pascal Kobeh / Green mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) pair courting and mating at sunset, Sulu Sea, Philippines

Pascal Kobeh / Green mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) pair courting and mating at sunset, Sulu Sea, Philippines

Pascal Kobeh / Bartel's dragonet (Synchiropus bartelsi), coast of Dhofar and Hallaniyat islands, Oman. Arabian Sea.

Alex Mustard / Pair of male Longtail dragonets (Callionymus neptunius) aggressively displaying to each other, Dauin, Dumaguete, Negros, Philippines. Bohol Sea, Tropical West Pacific Ocean.

Claudio Contreras / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) among coral, Inanuran Island, Danajon Bank, Central Visayas, Philippines, April

Juergen Freund / Pink and white Moyer's dragonet fish (Synchiropus moyeri) Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Alex Mustard / 2020VISION / Pair of Reticulated dragonets (Callionymus reticulatus) spawning. The larger male is carrying the female up into the water column, balanced on his pectoral fin, the males breed only once in their life...

Alex Mustard / 2020VISION / Pair of Reticulated dragonets (Callionymus reticulatus) spawning - the larger male is carrying the female up into the water column, balanced on his pectoral fin, the males breed only once in their lif...

Sue Daly / Dragonet (Callionymus lyra) male. Channel Islands, UK, July.

Juergen Freund / Fingered dragonet (Dactylopus dactylopus) walking on seabed, Batangas, Philippines.

Juergen Freund / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) Moluccas Islands, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) resting on coral. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mandarinfish / Picturesque dragonet (Synchiropus picturatus) resting on its fins. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mandarinfish / Picturesque dragonet (Synchiropus picturatus) resting on its fins. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) on coral rubble. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Fingered dragonet (Dactylopus dactylopus) camouflaged on the sand, close-up of the face. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) on coral rubble. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) on coral rubble. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mating Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) on coral rubble. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) on coral rubble. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Mating mandarinfish / Mandarin dragonets (Synchiropus splendidus). North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Fingered dragonet (Dactylopus dactylopus), close-up of the head. Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Tim Laman / A pair of Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) swim close together prior to spawning. (Large male and small female). Malapascua Island. Visayan Sea, Philippines

Tim Laman / A pair of Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) swim close together prior to spawning. (Large male and small female). Malapascua Island. Visayan Sea, Philippines

Tim Laman / A pair of Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) swim close together prior to spawning. (Large male and small female) Malapascua Island. Visayan Sea, Philippines

Tim Laman / Close up view of male Mandarin fish (Synchiropus splendidus) Malapascua Island, Visayan Sea, Philippines

Sue Daly / Fingered dragonet (Dactylopus dactylopus) displaying, Lembeh Straits, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Wild Wonders of Europe / Lundgren / Dragonet (Callionymus lyra) portrait, Moere coastline, Norway, February 2009

Michele Westmorland / Mandarin fish (Synchiropus splendidus) pair on coral reef, House Jetty Reef, Tufi, Papua New Guinea

Michele Westmorland / Mandarin fish (Synchiropus splendidus) pair on coral reef, House Jetty Reef, Tufi, Papua New Guinea

Jane Burton / Mandarin fish {Synchiropus splendidus} captive, from the Philippines

Florian Graner / Dragonet (Callionymus lyra) on sea-floor, Norway

Florian Graner / Dragonet (Callionymus lyra) on sea-floor sediments. Norway

Florian Graner / Dragonet (Callionymus lyra) with urchin, Norway

Florian Graner / Dragonet (Callionymus lyra) Norway

Florian Graner / Dragonet (Callionymus lyra) with urchin, Norway

Graham Eaton / Male Reticulated Dragonet (Callionymus reticulatus) Wales, UK 2007

Graham Eaton / Male Reticulated Dragonet (Callionymus reticulatus) Wales, UK, 2007

David Fleetham / Fingered dragonet (Dactylopus dactylopus) with Flying gunard behind, Mabul Island, Malaysia.

David Fleetham / Starry dragonet (Synchiropus stellatus) juvenile resting on sand beside rocks, Yap, Micronesia, Pacific Ocean.

Georgette Douwma / RF - Tropical reef fish, composite image on black background, Radial filefish (Acreichthys radiatus), Devilfish (Inimicus didactylus), Black-spotted porcupinefish (Arothron hystrix), Puffer filefish...

Georgette Douwma / Tropical reef fish composite image on black background, Black-spottted porcupinefish (Arothron hystrix), Three-spot angelfish (Apolemichthys trimaculatus), Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus), Rhino...

Magnus Lundgren / Pair of Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) mating, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean.

David Fleetham / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus) leaving the protection of finger coral to look for a mate at dusk, Yap, Micronesia, Pacific Ocean.

David Fleetham / Mating pair of Long-tail dragonets / Neptune dragonets (Calliurichthys neptunius), male has dorsal fin raised. Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus). Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus). Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Alex Mustard / Lancer dragonets (Paradiplogrammus bairdi) pair spawning. West Bay, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea