Master of Disguise

I swear, we humans learned all about camouflage tactics from animals, specifially these marine animals: the frogfish and the pipefish.

The frogfish I saw blended in with the sponges and coral that they hung out in making it so hard to spot them even in plain sight.

I learned they use their camouflage to protect them from predators and also uses it to lure prey. Frogfish don't swim instead, they use their fins to "walk" on the ocen floor.

This hairy frogfish took me a while to see even though it was right in the open.

I love photographing these guys. Check out more frogfish pictures here.

The pipefish, along with the seahorse, is part of the Syngnathidae family.

Pipefish are also masters of disguise just like this ornate ghost pipefish which looks just like the sea fan that it hangs out in.

Without the help of my focus light, I would've never seen this guy. Very tricky dude!

Other pipefish tend to blend with seagrass such as the ones below.

Seahorses can also be tricky to spot especially the pygmy seahorse. Not only is it so tiny, but it blends right in with the seafans that it lives in.

Here's a shot of another pygmy seahorse with the guide's fingernail just to get perspective on the size of the critter.

Last but not least, the white thorny seahorse isn't that hard to spot but you still have to look hard to find them. I loved how this guy has a heart-shaped eye 🥰.

More pipefish and seahorse photos here.