Red Scooter Dragonet (Synchiropus stellatus)

Despite the name, Scooter "Blennies" aren't blennies at all — they're dragonets, closer kin to the mandarinfish than to anything with the word blenny in its actual family tree. Males carry an extended first dorsal fin they flare open during territorial standoffs and courtship displays, the same showy move mandarins use, and both sexes hop across the sand hunting copepods rather than swimming in open water.

Care level: Moderate · Temperament: Peaceful · Max size: ~2.5" · Min tank: 30 gal, mature with live rock · Diet: Carnivore, meaty foods, benefits from live copepods