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Published on: May 21, 2019
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Scorpionfish rapidly change colour in response to their background
Leonie John1, Matteo Santon2,3, Nico K Michiels2
1Animal Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf Der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. leonie.john@uni-tuebingen.de.
Frontiers in Zoology
|March 2, 2023
Summary
Scorpionfish rapidly adjust body color and fluorescence within seconds to match backgrounds. This camouflage strategy, while imperfect on artificial backgrounds, is crucial for predator and prey detection in their natural marine environment.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Animal behavior
- Camouflage
Background:
- Scorpionfishes (Scorpaenidae) are bottom-dwelling predators that rely on camouflage.
- Rapid color change is observed in some animals for background matching.
- Red fluorescence in scorpionfish may aid camouflage at depth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if Scorpaena maderensis and Scorpaena porcus adjust body luminance and hue to match artificial backgrounds.
- To determine if scorpionfish regulate red fluorescence in response to different backgrounds.
- To quantify the speed of luminance change for camouflage.
Main Methods:
- Scorpionfish were exposed to three artificial backgrounds (dark grey, light grey, orange).
- Image analysis documented changes in luminance, hue, and red fluorescence.
- Contrast was calculated from the visual perspective of two prey fish species.
- Luminance change was measured at high temporal resolution in a second experiment.
Main Results:
- Both scorpionfish species rapidly adjusted luminance and hue to new backgrounds.
- Background matching was imperfect, with high achromatic and chromatic contrasts from prey perspectives.
- Red fluorescence area increased with background luminance.
- Significant luminance change occurred within 5-10 seconds.
Conclusions:
- Scorpionfish exhibit rapid (within seconds) changes in body luminance and hue.
- Observed changes, though suboptimal on artificial backgrounds, likely reduce detectability in natural environments.
- Color and fluorescence adjustments are key camouflage strategies for scorpionfish.
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