Mandarin Fish

Mandarin fish are tiny dragonet fish with one of the most spectacular colour palettes in the animal kingdom, electric blue, orange, and green psychedelic patterns. They produce their colour from actual blue pigment (cyanophore cells), one of only two animals on Earth to do so (along with the related picturesque dragonet).

Their mating ritual is the world's most famous dusk dive: 30 minutes before sunset, a male and female ascend slowly cheek-to-cheek 30–60 cm above the coral, release sperm and eggs into the water, then drop back into the rubble. The whole event takes seconds and repeats nightly.

Reliable mating sites: Lembeh, Anilao, Bali (Tulamben Secret Bay), Bunaken, Cebu (Moalboal house reef). Local guides know specific rubble patches. Bring a red focus light, white light disrupts the ritual.