Mandarinfish

The mandarinfish is a showstopper of the coral reef, famous for its vivid electric-blue, orange, and green coloration. It looks like something straight out of a fantasy book, and it’s just as secretive and mysterious.

Found in warm Pacific Ocean waters, especially around coral-rich lagoons and inshore reefs, mandarinfish prefer to live close to the seafloor, weaving through rubble and coral in search of food. Despite their dazzling appearance, they’re quite shy and often active during dawn or dusk.

Rather than relying on speed or strength to stay safe, mandarinfish have evolved a different defence - they’re covered in a thick, smelly mucus that tastes terrible to predators. It also gives their body a slimy, velvet-like texture, instead of the usual fishy scales.

They feed almost constantly, using their small, sucker-like mouths to pick up tiny crustaceans and copepods from rocks and coral. Their metabolism is fast, and they rarely stray far from feeding grounds.

One of the most magical things about mandarinfish is their courtship dance. Around sunset, males and females rise together in a synchronised spiral from the reef floor, releasing eggs and sperm into the water in a brief, beautiful display.