Dragonets are not a common sight on the fish market - as yet they are not landed in sufficient quantity. They are one of those fish that goes out of their way to protect themselves by virtue of a number of sharp spines that protect their gill plates. Unwary handling can result in a swollen digit if the skin is broken in response to the venom released - which gave rise to their local name of 'miller's thumb'.
The female dragonet as seen above is far less colourful than the male which are almost tropical with bright yellow and iridescent blue streaks on the dorsal fin. They prefer a sand or gravel seabed up to 25 fathoms in which they lay partially buried while waiting for lunch to pass - any small form of shellfish or worm will do.
