The English name for this unusual fish is Dragonet, derived from the word “dragon.” It indeed resembles a small dragon in some ways. In Vietnamese, it is called “cá đàn lia,” with the scientific name Callionymus lyra.
Dragonets typically inhabit the seabed near the shore at a depth of about 400 meters. They feed on small crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates.
Male Dragonets use bright colors and their dorsal fins to signal other males to stay away from their “territory.” Intruding males will be chased away immediately, and the two opponents will do everything they can to intimidate each other.
Dragonets mate in shallow waters. With a rather sophisticated courtship ritual, males attract females by erecting their dorsal fins while swimming alongside and circling around the female. The two will then pair up, swimming upwards toward the surface, their bellies pressed together. As they rise, the female lays eggs while the male releases sperm to fertilize them. The eggs gradually float to the surface.
The fry hatch and live near the surface until they reach a certain size (at least about 1 cm long) before swimming down to the seabed.
Unlike the dragons of mythology, this type of “little dragon” has a body without scales. However, it has a large head and a long dorsal fin close to the head, with a spike that rises higher than the fin. Mature male Dragonets are brownish-yellow with darker spots on their heads and stripes along their bodies and fins. Young fish do not yet have the high dorsal spike.
The body length of mature male Dragonets is about 30 cm, while mature females measure around 20 cm.
