Mandarin Camoflauge?

[Joluko]

I have a nice little mandarin that, by all appearances, is doing quite well. I was bit thrown off this morning when I flipped on the tank light to find that the mandarin was almost completely white. After a few minutes his full color returned and he looked fine. Was this some sort of mandarin camo and I just never noticed it before?

PS - latest tank pics here: http://fish.kokko.info

[oz]

mine goes pale too when I turn off the lights.
Hey your Christmas Tree Xenia looks more like a Goniopora to me.

[Joluko]

thx for the info. Scared me to death when I saw him. At first I thought he was dead. Then he fluttered off and the color came back.

[Jamesurq]

oz - I was just about to say the same thing. Definite goniopora

[Joluko]

My bad!! I'd better update my labels :p

[Reefcherie]

Agreed. It is perfectly normal for a mandarin to get pale once they've settled down after the lights go out. You may also find them with bits of sand stuck to them in the morning at times. It can get stuck in the sort of slimy coating they have at night. They don't really hide themselves like some other fish. I've even found mine just about right out in the open. I think they use the color change and bits of sand sticking to them as camoflauge instead.

Cheri