Find out how unassuming humbug damselfish are using their bold black and white stripes to send predators mindbogglingly contradictory messages through the magic of ‘motion dazzle’.
Camouflage Meets Confusion
Animals use camouflage to avoid predators: animals remain still and that their colour camouflages them. These humbug damselfish, with their bold black and white stripes, feature what is a highly unusual escape mechanism of its type founded on both camouflage and—’motion dazzle’.
Its stripes allow the humbug damselfish to blend with its coral reef environment when it’s resting. But as they must move to gain food (i.e., foraging), their stripiness combines in a way that dazzles and confuses would-be predators. Such motion dazzle makes it hard for the predator to gauge how fast and where the fish are moving, giving humbug damselfish an important edge in surviving being eaten.
Adapting to the Environment
Research by the Macquarie University School of Natural Sciences team finds that humbug damselfish are highly adept at altering their anti-predator behaviour. However, within their natural surroundings amidst branching corals having similar striped patterns, the fish usually moved itself back and less likely to move overall. This technique allows them to be camouflaged and remain out of view of the predators.
But the humbug damselfish turned up their motility outside of the coral colony and started confusing predators not only with their stripes but also with motion dazzle, a form of camouflage comprised of misleading movement. It shows that the fish can evaluate their environment and select from multiple defense strategies in order to give a better chance of surviving.
Conclusion
Research on a special damselfish, the humbug damselfish, highlights the unbelievable flexibility and sophistication of their predation-avoidance tactics. The motion dazzle of the fish helps camouflage to blend well as it can quickly switch between patterns, making them confuse their predators and slip away from being preyed upon. Our research is a baseline for understanding the complex interactions between animal behavior, visual perception and evolution in an aquatic ecosystem.
