Small bottom fish that walk on their pelvic fins over rubble rather than swimming. Males carry an extended first dorsal fin they raise at each other and at females.
The mandarinfish is the group's reason for existing on this site. It comes out of the rubble at dusk to mate, rises a metre or so in a pair, releases eggs and sperm and drops back, and is not reliably seen at any other time of day. The whole event lasts a few seconds and the window is about twenty minutes.
Photographing it is a specific problem: low light, a fast small subject, and a fish that goes back down if a bright light is held on it. A dim red-filtered focus light and a position chosen before the light goes are worth more than any equipment.
The rest of the group is out by day on rubble and silt, is under about eight centimetres, and is found by watching for movement on ground that looks empty.
Every one has a page. They are shown as a list rather than as pictures because nothing has been photographed or logged for them yet, and a species with nothing behind it should not sit in front of one that has.
How many of the 5 carry a record at each destination. A species usually carries several, so these do not add up to 5.
All 1316 species in one index, with filters for destination, rarity and hazard.
