Photo copyright Tim Nicholson.
Dragonet, Callionymus lyra
Taken in Port Erin Bay, Isle of Man
More dragonet photos...
A broad, triangular head together with a long snout distinguishes the dragonet from gobies. It is a slim fish with bulging eyes on the top of its head. Males are thought to only breed once in a lifetime and courtship includes the male pulling a face as part of an elaborate display. The fish feed on small animals in the sand like worms and crustaceans.
Read more on diving the Isle of Man.
Further Reading
Dive sites and marine life of the Calf of Man and neighbouring
area by Bill Sanderson, Bruce McGregor and Andrew Brierley, Immel Publishing Ltd, 1994, Paperback.
Great British Marine Animals, by Paul Naylor, Deltor (2011)
The Underwater Photographer: Digital and Traditional Techniques, by by Martin Edge, Paperback, 536 pages (2009)
