Mimicking the Mimic
Posted by Shari Horowitz in Tropical Fish Hobbyist Blog on January 5, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Mimic octopus
Octopuses are known for their remarkable intelligence, as well as their ability to change the color and shape of their body. None demonstrates the ability to change its look better than the mimic octopus. So researchers at the University of Gottingen, Germany and California Academy of Sciences were surprised to find a fish that masterfully mimicked the mimic.
The black marble jawfish, a relative of the popular aquarium fish the yellow-headed jawfish, displays the brown and white stripes the mimic octopus displays when not mimicking something else, and travels with the octopus while remaining among its tentacles. It is thought that the jawfish uses the opportunity to hunt for food while hiding from predators. Check out a video of the jawfish and its octopus companion, taken by one researcher, Godehard Kopp.
Source: http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=14793085610
Photograph by Christine Huffard.
Tags: jawfish, mimic octopus, mimicry, octopus
