Mandarin dragonet

Photo: Lakshmi Sawitri · CC BY

Arguably the most colourful fish in the ocean, the mandarin dragonet is covered in intricate blue, orange, and green psychedelic patterning produced by pigment cells rather than iridescence. Males perform a spectacular mating ritual at dusk, rising in spiraling columns with females to release eggs and sperm into the water column before dropping back into the rubble. They graze on tiny crustaceans and worms hidden among coral rubble throughout the day, moving erratically on their splayed pelvic fins. The population at Siladen's lagoon is large enough that patient observers can see multiple pairs ascending simultaneously.