Overview
This brilliantly colored fish uses hypnotic patterns to immobilize its prey. The blue and orange coloration of their scales seems to swirl and shimmer when they swim, leaving all who see it captivated and unable to pull their gazes away.
Ecology
Located in coral reefs, cautivar dragonets prefer to spend their time walking along the bottom of the sea, using their fins to scoot along sandy surfaces and coral alike. They aren't known for their speed, and tend to rely solely on their hypnosis in order to capture prey and escape from predators. While they lack any form of protective scales, they also secrete a foul tasting, foul smelling mucus which coats their bodies.
Cautivar dragonets are around 3ft in length, and adults typically weigh between 20-30lbs. Males are typically larger than females, and have a far longer dorsal fin, which makes the two sexes easily identifiable. To attract females, males perform a swimming courtship display, leading interested females join in with the male's dance.
People tend to avoid these creatures when possible, as being enthralled by them while diving can lead to accidental drowning. However, they are sometimes hunted for the foul mucus they secrete. The mucus collected from cautivar dragonets makes a good deterrent for predatory species, and can be made into a balm to rub on boats or gear to keep hostile fish away.
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