To make the mating spectacle even more impressive , adult male dragonets are gold in colour with flashes of brilliant blue on their head and flanks . The mature male ’ s dorsal fins are also brightly coloured and greatly enlarged but are generally folded away when you see them . The colouring of female and younger male dragonets is duller and highly variable , although there are often spots and characteristic saddle markings on their backs . These can be adjusted for camouflage so , for example , dragonets living on the beautiful Fal Estuary maerl beds have a prominent amount of red colouration .
To add some confusion , two other , smaller species of dragonets live around the British Isles , the reticulated ( C . reticulatus ) and spotted ( C . maculatus ) dragonets . They are usually less than 12cm long but are very difficult to distinguish from small common dragonets , particularly the reticulated species which wasn ’ t recognised until relatively recently . In fact , the generally comprehensive fish guide I prized as
Dragonet ‘ coughing ’ away the sediment it has taken in
a teenage snorkeller and keep on my bookshelf for nostalgia , doesn ’ t mention it .
They really are tricky so , for this article , I have mainly stuck to photographs that have received some expert review or are of sufficiently large dragonets to be called ‘ common ’ with some confidence !
I would urge anyone who wants the lowdown on dragonets , and definitive identification details for any of our fish species , to get the recently published Seasearch guide to ‘ Inshore Fishes of Britain and Ireland ’. You will also be supporting the important programme itself . �
Large dragonet showing a hint of male breeding colours
This dragonet appears to be making a ‘ yawning ’ display , which in other fish can indicate aggression
Small dragonets join painted gobies looking for possible food disturbed by a hermit crab
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