Scopas Tang - Changing Colors!!

[Shaych]

Hey Everyone!
The last couple of nights I've gotten home from work pretty late and the lights are off in the tank (not completely, at 1% so its not pitch black.) I've noticed that my Scopas Tang is a different color pattern at night! during the day his front half is yellow/blue ish and is back half is black, but at night he turns almost a translucent silver and theres a squigly reflective horizontal stripe down his side! It's so bizarre. Has anyone else noticed this? I've looked for pics all over the internet, but I can't find anything similar. I will try to take a pic of him tonight, but he doesn't come out very much at night :( Does anyone else know anything about this? or have pics?? Thanks!

 

[lion king]

That's the beauty of the scopas tang, and you can't capture it in a pic. It's a combination of the lighting and their mood. Mine is a combo of orange and black to a lavender and black at night with squiggly lines all over.

 

[mort]

It's normal and happens with other tangs and fish as well. In scopas and yellow tangs they go lighter, for the yellows it makes them look white with a yellow sheen and scopas are white/silver with a sheen of brown.
It because they don't need to show off their colours at night but it also makes them blend in with rockwork.

 

[najer]

My scopas can be anything from yellow to pretty much black depending on mood.

 

[TheReeferer]

But which color is to which mood?
During the day he seems happy and front half is yellow. At night all brown black.

 

[twentyleagues]

But which color is to which mood?
During the day he seems happy and front half is yellow. At night all brown black.

Typically darker colors indicate excitement, anger or aggression or possibly its night time and trying to blend in/disappear. Lighter colors/ faded could be fear or not feeling well again could be sleeping or trying to blend in depending on rock colors. Bright colors typically indicate its happy and healthy just living fishy life.