Invisible blenny
Courting couple of black-faced blennies on a leg of Swanage Pier
CRITTER CONFIDENTIAL Blending in … or not !
Paul Naylor turns his eagle eye to some of the most adept camouflage specialists of UK waters
The camouflaging skills of some of our common marine animals came to mind on one particular dive in Start Bay last summer . We were enjoying the rare treat of meeting a large lobster wandering from its lair in broad daylight and watching it walk rather clumsily across a shallow seaweed-covered reef .
In just a metre or so of the lobster ’ s perambulation , at least two sea scorpions darted away to safety as the crustacean ’ s legs crashed through the undergrowth . I hadn ’ t spotted any sea scorpions up to that point , despite a very thorough look along the reef !
They are fascinating fish and I would like to know more about their scope for colour change , which they use in ambushing their own prey as well as avoiding predators .
They can be seen in a myriad different colour schemes , depending on their surroundings , but can every individual do the whole range or are they limited in their repertoire ?
Sea scorpions are certainly highly territorial – I found the same one residing in a local rock crevice in March 2016 and January 2017 . I ’ m now trying to ascertain whether one that hangs out near this spot in 2022 is the same individual . I have a hunch it may be , but the colour-change skills of the species makes it difficult to use markings for recognising individuals – doh !
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