Marine animals are truly wondrous creatures, and there are many ways in which the human race emulate them. We study fish to learn better propulsion of our bodies and vehicles. We study their feeding habits to become better hunters. But one of the most unique talents many aquatic animals possess is their ability to hide in plain sight. This amazing gift has kept many an underwater life intact, as well as served to ambush an unsuspecting meal.
Sea creatures use camouflage for a variety of reasons. It may be for the purposes of keeping cover to avoid discovery by predators, or keeping cover to predate on others. Some use it for their nesting areas, to ensure hatchlings from eggs live to see the light of the sun. Whatever their use it, the array of shapes, colors, and designs that are employed to blend in to their immediate environment is astounding! Let’s take a look at a few:
Octopus
The octopus has numerous fascinating features, but its ability to change its skin to perfectly match their surroundings is one of the most interesting. This process involves the functions of chromatophores, which are cells that contain pigment and are capable of reflecting light, that are found in many sea creatures. Octopus utilize these through muscle movements, which can also affect the texture appearance of their skin as well; for example, a change to make itself look more like coral structure, or sand, or sea plants. Octopus are incredibly clever creatures, and studies have shown that they do indeed learn and exhibit stream-of-consciousness, which seems rather obvious considering the feat of changing their appearance to match the locale. When attacked, an octopus is capable of detaching an arm to have it serve as a distraction while the sly octopus escapes, and a new limb will be regenerated. The aptly named Mimic Octopus can even combine all these techniques with its skills of contortion to resemble other fish altogether! While they do use their camouflage to hunt, it is more often used to hide from predatory creatures.
Scorpionfish
The scorpionfish is well-known in the sea as an adept predator, and part of this talent is because of its brilliant ability to camouflage itself. The scorpionfish has a variety of looks and styles, depending on the particular environment they are living in. Some are located in more sandy, muddy environs, so they will take on a sandy, gritty appearance. Others reside in areas where coral reef abounds, giving the scorpionfish a wide range of looks, to blend into the corals. Even more are practically unrecognizable as a fish at all, due to their wild coloring and unique spines, fins, and tendrils. Scorpionfish generally lay in wait for their prey, sucking it into their cavernous jaws as it swims by. Other types, like the lionfish, aggressively hunt and attack prey. Specific spines of the scorpionfish are highly venomous, and will cause damage to humans as well as fish, so watch out!
Skates and Rays
Rays and skates are beautiful creatures that actually descend from sharks. Like underwater birds, they glide through ocean waters with grace and speed. There are many types of skates and rays within the species’ family, but one characteristic they all share is the flattened shape of their bodies, which makes underwater camouflage quite easy. Most skates and rays spend the majority of their time on the sea floor, foraging for food and laying their eggs within the soft sands. Because of their constant proximity to the bottom, their skin coloring has adapted to blend well into the sands and seabed surfaces, and the composition of their bodies allows for some burrowing to remain even further undetected by predators.
What would you do if you had the ability to blend into your surroundings?
