The mimic anemone, Phyllodiscus semoni, is the ultimate master of deception on the reef. Not only is this anemone a near-perfect copy of various soft corals, stony corals, and even algae, these anemones will mimic a specific type of coral, down to…
Sea Cucumber Pretends It’s A Coral
Sometimes it seems like every creature living on a coral reef has at least one species which mimics it. Take, for instance, this juvenile sea cucumber, Thelenota ananas, which has mastered the art of being Pocillopora. Question is… can it…
Survival on the reef part 1: Masquerading under false colours
Look at this amazing pair of Meiacanthus grammistes. Eh hmm…wait a minute. That’s not quite right. Look closer. Cardinal fish? Bingo. This is a pair of Cheilodipterus nigrotaeniatus and they are excellent mimics of their venomous fang blenny models. Mimicry is an…
Soleichthys maculosus flounder mimics toxic flatworms to an incredible degree
As much as we eat soles, halibut and flounders, it’s a pity that we almost never seen any representatives of this broad group of fishes in aquaria. One fish which would make a fascinating aquarium subject is the juveniles of…
Opportunistic mimicry by a Jawfish – amateur discovery recognized in scientific literature
It’s a rare event when something discovered by a recreational diver winds up validated in the scentific community. But that’s precisely what’s happened with a story that first caught attention in July, 2011. Godehard Kopp, a recreational diver, recorded a…
