Frogfish Blend With Bleached Corals!

    • Agata Blaszczak-Boxe | New Scientist
    • Publish Date: Oct 14 2016 4:51PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Oct 15 2016 12:12PM
Frogfish Blend With Bleached Corals!

It’s important to fit in. That seems to be the approach taken by this frogfish, which has turned white to match the bleached coral on which it is living.

Warty frogfish (Antennarius maculatus) are sedentary seafloor dwellers that can change colour over just a few weeks to seamlessly blend in with their surroundings. Their disguise renders them invisible to unsuspecting prey that they snatch for dinner.

Since the warm waters off the Maldives abound in vibrant-coloured corals, the frogfish living there typically match these orange or pinkish hues, says Gabriel Grimsditch of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Maldives in Malé. But rising ocean temperatures have led to the widespread bleaching of these once-colourful corals.

When Grimsditch and his team were scuba diving in North Ari Atoll in May they photographed an unusual, white frogfish resting among the bleached corals. Its dark, protruding warts mimicked bits of brownish algae growing on dead parts of the coral skeletons. “We were very excited to see this,” says Grimsditch.

Frogfish rarely change location, so this spooky-looking individual had probably been in that same spot for a while, the team speculated. It is likely to have turned white as the corals were bleached in late April or early May, when ocean temperatures were unusually high.

Frogfish first

“It was fascinating because we had never seen a frogfish that had changed colour to become white because of a bleaching event,” Grimsditch says.

The team thinks this may show how these animals will react to these increasingly frequent events. It would be curious to see whether the frogfish would change colour again if the coral died and turned brown as it became overgrown with algae, Grimsditch says. “I would think it would – that would be my guess,” he says.The fish’s adaptation to a changing environment recalls the famous peppered moth, which changed from being light to dark coloured during the UK’s Industrial Revolution.

“I just think it is fascinating,” says Caroline Rogers of the United States Geological Survey on St John in the Virgin Islands. “I think most people would be amazed to see that any fish could blend itself so remarkably.”

For John Parkinson at Oregon State University in Corvallis, the observation is a gloomy reminder of the longest-recorded global bleaching event, which has been hammering reefs since 2014. “It is another example of the sad state of affairs,” he says.

Eight Facts About Frogfish!

1- Considered masters of disguise, frogfish are a type of anglerfish, that have a textured exterior that aids in their camouflage. 

2- They do not have scales. 

3- Unlike many animals that use camouflage as a defense from predators, frogfish mostly use their abilities to attract prey.

4- Frogfish vary in color and often have unique spines or bumps that change with their surroundings.

5- They have a modified dorsal fin that has a retractable lure resembling a shrimp, which is used to attract their prey. If their lure is eaten or damaged it can be regenerated.

6- Frogfish are carnivores. They eat fish, crustaceans and even other frogfish.

7- A frogfish’s mouth can expand to 12 times its resting size. This allows it to catch all sorts of prey.

8- Because frogfish lack a swim bladder, they use their modified pectoral fins to walk, or even gallop, across the seafloor 

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Comments

Sarath Kumar RM Bethel Mat Hr Sec School

Very interesting facts. Its unique characters makes it very special.

Sarath Kumar RM Bethel Mat Hr Sec School

Really amazing to read about these kinds of creatures.

Kashish Verma Bharti Public School Swasthya Vihar

Very interesting and unique facts.. I didn''t know about them.

APARNA.V Amalorpavam Higher Secondary School - Puducherry

Fantastic facts!I have not heard about them.

Bhavana Jaison Atomic Energy Central School No 2

fascinating .

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