Tang Face turning black?

[toddmau5]

We have a sub-adult orange shoulder tang (still yellow but with a gray mouth) today as I was watching the tank I noticed he was being pretty shy and hiding in the rock work. When he would poke out, I noticed his face was completely black, almost like a fox face. But then it would go away and he would be back to his normal color. I'm pretty sure I'm not on drugs. I wasn't away that tangs could shift colors or camouflage like rabbit fish do. Does anyone have an sort of explanation for this?

 

[slief]

Tangs can change colors in the blink of an eye based on their mood or stress level. They will also change color to camouflage themselves to their surrounding. In your case, he mention he was hiding in the rocks being shy. He was probably stressed and trying to hide by changing his color to blend into the shadows..

 

[toddmau5]

Interesting. I knew other fish could do it but I had no clue tangs had that ability. He was the most social fish for the first few weeks we had him, now he seems to be hiding more often

 

[tkeracer619]

When I got my two spot tang he was black. Everyone called him the black fish. I told them he wasn't actually black but was probably just terrified. They said I was crazy, hes clearly a black fish.

not mine but now he looks just like this after settling in