Asian Diver — October 2017

69

BOTTOM RIGHT

Cuttlefish are able

to transform their

colours and shapes

to hide amongst the

rest of life on the reef

TOP RIGHT Some
of the most famous
of the camouflage
critters, scorpionfish
mimic the algae-
encrusted reef

ABOVE Wobbegong
sharks are masters of
stealth and patience,
blending, carpet-like
into the substrate

Just staying still can be a challenge

too. And with so many neighbours on a

bustling reef, add to the list of difficulties

the fear of being watched by predators

each time one ventures out for a meal.

To cope with this “kill or be killed”

survival challenge, some animals in the

marine realm have turned to the use

of camouflage. And for camouflaging

carnivores like the crocodilefish, finding

food is quite like playing hide and seek –

only here, the stakes are rather high.

A predator is under constant pressure

to bring its “A game”, especially if it

wants to keep up with nimble prey that

are also constantly getting better at

escaping its clutches.

WHEN PREDATORS PLAY WITH LIGHT

In parts of the ocean where sunlight

can penetrate, the lives of many plants

and animals are largely governed by

the dynamic play of light. Light not only

determines where animals live and

what they eat but also how they are

coloured and consequently, who can see

them. A camouflaging predator behaves

much like a photographer would

underwater, constantly evaluating

how best it can utilise the presence