Reef fish

Mandarinfish

Synchiropus splendidus

IUCN status: Least concern

A small, brightly patterned dragonet best known for its dusk mating ritual, when pairs rise together from the reef or mangrove-channel rubble. Sightings depend on being in the water at the right time of day (shortly before sunset) rather than a particular month.

Max size: Under 6cm
Habitat: Rubble and coral debris near mangrove channels and jetties, shallow water

Best places to dive with Mandarinfish

rareoccasionalcommonly seenpeak season

Coron, Palawan

Sighting likelihood by month
Month	Likelihood
January	commonly seen
February	commonly seen
March	commonly seen
April	commonly seen
May	commonly seen
June	commonly seen
July	commonly seen
August	commonly seen
September	commonly seen
October	commonly seen
November	commonly seen
December	commonly seen

Mandarinfish are reported around the shallow East Tangat gunboat, typically at dusk in the coral and debris. Resident but shy and site-specific.

Lembeh Strait

Sighting likelihood by month
Month	Likelihood
January	commonly seen
February	commonly seen
March	commonly seen
April	commonly seen
May	commonly seen
June	commonly seen
July	commonly seen
August	commonly seen
September	commonly seen
October	commonly seen
November	commonly seen
December	commonly seen

Resident in rubble and jetty structures; best seen at dusk when they rise to mate.

Malapascua

Sighting likelihood by month
Month	Likelihood
January	commonly seen
February	commonly seen
March	commonly seen
April	commonly seen
May	commonly seen
June	commonly seen
July	commonly seen
August	commonly seen
September	commonly seen
October	commonly seen
November	commonly seen
December	commonly seen

Resident, with reliable dusk courtship at Lighthouse.

Moalboal

Sighting likelihood by month
Month	Likelihood
January	commonly seen
February	commonly seen
March	commonly seen
April	commonly seen
May	commonly seen
June	commonly seen
July	commonly seen
August	commonly seen
September	commonly seen
October	commonly seen
November	commonly seen
December	commonly seen

Reliable at set spots on the Panagsama house reef at dusk, when the males display; a guide is usually needed to find them.

Puerto Galera

Sighting likelihood by month
Month	Likelihood
January	commonly seen
February	commonly seen
March	commonly seen
April	commonly seen
May	commonly seen
June	commonly seen
July	commonly seen
August	commonly seen
September	commonly seen
October	commonly seen
November	commonly seen
December	commonly seen

Reliably seen at dusk on shallow, calm sites such as The Hill and around Sabang, when they emerge to mate. A dedicated dusk dive is usually needed.

Raja Ampat

Sighting likelihood by month
Month	Likelihood
January	commonly seen
February	commonly seen
March	commonly seen
April	commonly seen
May	commonly seen
June	commonly seen
July	commonly seen
August	commonly seen
September	commonly seen
October	commonly seen
November	commonly seen
December	commonly seen

Resident year-round; sightings depend on being in the water shortly before sunset, not on season. Best near mangrove-channel rubble at sites like Yenbuba and Sauwandarek jetties.

Sipadan

Sighting likelihood by month
Month	Likelihood
January	commonly seen
February	commonly seen
March	commonly seen
April	commonly seen
May	commonly seen
June	commonly seen
July	commonly seen
August	commonly seen
September	commonly seen
October	commonly seen
November	commonly seen
December	commonly seen

Resident at Mabul with dusk courtship; Mabul is not subject to the November Sipadan closure.

Wakatobi

Sighting likelihood by month
Month	Likelihood
January	commonly seen
February	commonly seen
March	commonly seen
April	commonly seen
May	commonly seen
June	commonly seen
July	commonly seen
August	commonly seen
September	commonly seen
October	commonly seen
November	commonly seen
December	commonly seen

Present in sheltered coral rubble and staghorn patches; most reliably seen on dusk dives when they rise to mate.

Anilao, Batangas

Sighting likelihood by month
Month	Likelihood
January	occasional
February	occasional
March	occasional
April	occasional
May	occasional
June	occasional
July	occasional
August	occasional
September	occasional
October	occasional
November	occasional
December	occasional

Present in shallow rubble and coral patches at some sites, most reliably on dusk dives when they emerge to mate.

Sources & last checked

Checked July 2026

This is a researched draft, not yet human-verified. The seasonality and logistics are drawn from the sources below — confirm specifics (permits, fees, closures) with an operator before you book.

Top 100 Destination: Diving in Raja Ampat — Scuba Diving Magazine
Local Guide to Raja Ampat Dive Sites: Yenbuba Jetty — Divernet

Note on the data: Sighting likelihood here is coded as a flat 'resident' across all 12 months since the real constraint is time-of-day (dusk), not season — flag if the schema should eventually support a time-of-day dimension separate from monthly likelihood.