It was somewhat bleached when I got it. It's tentacles have pink tips and were only about 1/2 of an inch long. It expanded to about twice the size it is now. I'm sorry i don't have a pic of what it looked like when I first got it. Sometimes I can get it to eat and others it just lets the food go. It feeds better when it is fully expanded, but I am at work in the middle of the day when It is at its fullest. I have been thinking about changing the light cycle so that high noon to them will be around 7:00 at night when I'm at home.