Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Care Level: Difficult
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: Yes
Water Conditions: 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
Max. Size: 6"
Color Form: Black, Tan
Diet: Carnivore
Compatibility: View Chart
Origin: Indo-Pacific
Family: Callionymidae
The Fingered Dragonet is also referred to as the Salifin Dragonet. Its body is a mottling of brown and white with large dark spots. The lower fin is loaded with bright blue spots. The large dorsal fin of this species is often displayed upright making the fish appear much larger than it actually is. This odd fish has finger like appendages on each pelvic fin enabling the fish to walk about the tank, and at night they will often bury themselves in the sand with just their eyes protruding from the substrate.
Fingered Dragonets prefers a reef aquarium of 50 gallons or larger with lots of live rock to hide in and graze from. The substrate should be live sand and the aquarium should have docile inhabitants. More than one of its species may be kept, and it is best to introduce them all to the tank at the same time.
The Fingered Dragonet's diet should consist of small crustaceans that are present in the well-established reef aquarium that contains plenty of live rock. Brine shrimp, bloodworms and glassworms, and small invertebrates may be offered daily in order to supplement their diet. These fish are slow-moving, deliberate feeders and should not have to compete for their food with aggressive feeders. the above is from Live Aquaria.
The following from Blue Zoo ;
Scientific Name Dactylopus dactylopus
Reef Compatible Yes
Care Level Expert-only
Disposition Peaceful
Min. Tank Size 75 gallons
Mature Size 12 inches
Diet Carnivore
Range Indo-Pacific
Curator's Note
Dragonets are incredibly difficult if not impossible to adapt to a captive diet and will rarely accept anything but the tiniest of live foods.
Dragonets should never be introduced to an aquarium smaller than 75 gallons and should equally never be introduced to an aquarium that is less than at LEAST 6 – 8 months old as it usually takes their main food source this amount of time to properly populate.
Other Common Names
Fingered Dragonet
Description
The Finger Dragonet, also known as the Sailfin Dragonet is an unusual addition to aquariums with it’s ‘fingered’ fins and striking metallic blue spotted dorsal fin. In the wild, Dragonet’s will spend their day hovering among rocks picking at small crustaceans including copepods, amphipods. Their mouths are very small and they are very slow and methodic feeders, making live adult brine shrimp an impractical long term food source. Many gobies, Dottybacks/Pseudochromis, Damselfish, Anthias, Basslets, and many others will compete with the slow eating Dragonet.
Diet
Requires live foods such as copepods, and amphipods. Sometimes frozen artemia (baby brine shrimp) can be introduced as a supplement. It will take a long time and a lot of patience with the Dragonets to help them adjust to a captive diet.
I would err on the side of caution for sure.