It's well known that fish living near coral are colored the same as Othe background for protection from predators. The Harlequin filefish (orange spotted filefish), Oxymonacanthus longirostris, goes to extremes to blend into the coral it lives in.
The fish has a hook on the back of its head that it uses to hook onto coral so it can sleep in peace. The shape with the polka-dot blue and yellow spots on its body perfectly match the coral it lives in. Its fin is the same color as the coral's growing tip. It blends in so well predators just swim past them.
When fish use shape and color to match background coral the system is called masquerading. Using color alone is called crypsis. Insects look like plants that they live in, but coral fish have perfected camouflage.
The fish has a hook on the back of its head that it uses to hook onto coral so it can sleep in peace. The shape with the polka-dot blue and yellow spots on its body perfectly match the coral it lives in. Its fin is the same color as the coral's growing tip. It blends in so well predators just swim past them.
When fish use shape and color to match background coral the system is called masquerading. Using color alone is called crypsis. Insects look like plants that they live in, but coral fish have perfected camouflage.
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